HISTORICAL 
GEOGRAPHY 
OF THE BIBLE 



' 1 ; ■;.:„•"-. Lib 1 



Pass jp -Siay 

Book l9 

ftspjtK X4 

COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT; 



Historical Geography 
of the Bible 



BY D. O. TEASLEY 




GOSPEL TRUMPET COMPANY 

Anderson, Indiana, U. S. A, 



US ) 08 
.9 

T4 



copybight, 1917 
Bt 

D. 0. TEASLET 



DEC !3!9!7 



©CI.A481061 



PREFACE 

The great importance of Bible Geography 
appears when we consider that the correct 
understanding of the Sacred Narrative is often 
dependent upon a knowledge of geographical 
locations. No geography is so valuable to us as 
that connected with the Holy Scriptures, and yet 
I think we are safe in saying that it is the least 
studied of all geography. 

When we read of a city, an empire, a moun- 
tain, a plain, a river, or a sea, we naturally form 
some idea of its location. To form right ideas 
of such things is an inestimable help to the 
understanding of the events of the Bible, and to 
form wrong ideas of geographical locations 
often leads to error in the interpretation of the 
Scriptures. 

The contents of the following pages should 
not prove tedious nor uninteresting, for every 
place under consideration is in some way re- 
lated to the history of the chosen people of Grod, 
and most of the places are associated directly 
or indirectly with the walks and works of our 
Master. The minutest details connected with 
the sacred narratives of the Bible seem impor- 
tant and alive with interest to those who love 
and long for truth. 

5 



6 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



The plan of this book is to combine just 
enough of history with geography to make the 
latter interesting and profitable. The Bible 
student will find a good wall map of Palestine 
invaluable as an accompaniment of this volume. 

The contents of this volume were first pre- 
pared as a text-book in Bible Geography and 
used by the writer in teaching a class of about 
eighty young men and women. At the request 
of many who happened to see those lesson 
sheets, the course is now given to the public, 
in this form. 

Anderson, Ind. D. 0. Teasley. 



CONTENTS 

Page 



CHAPTEE I 
THE OLD TESTAMENT WORLD 
Boundaries — Area — Seas — Mountain Ranges — Rivers 13 

CHAPTER II 
THE OLD TESTAMENT WORLD (Continued) 
Natural Divisions — Lands — Empires — Principal Places 

and Cities ~ 21 

CHAPTER III 

SETTLEMENT OF NOAH'S POSTERITY AND THE RE- 
PEOPLING OF THE WORLD AFTER THE FLOOD 
Japheth — Ham — Shem 28 

CHAPTER IV 
JOURNEYS OF THE PATRIARCHS 
Journeys of Abraham — Journeys of Isaac — Journeys of 

Jacob 37 

CHAPTER V 



LANDS OF THE SOJOURN AND THE WANDERING 
Egypt, the Land of the Sojourn — The Peninsula of 
Sinai — The Land of Edom — The Land of Moab — 



From Egypt to Canaan 50 

CHAPTER VI 
THE NEW TESTAMENT WORLD 
Seas — Islands — Provinces — Principal Cities 71 

CHAPTER VII 
PHYSICAL PALESTINE 
Names — Boundaries — Areas and Distances — Natural Di- 
visions 80 

7 



CHAPTER Vin 
PHYSICAL PALESTINE (Continued) 
Mountains — Valleys — Plains — Deserts 90 

CHAPTER IX 
PHYSICAL PALESTINE (Concluded) 
Its Waters — Seas and Lakes — Rivers — Brooks — Jeru- 
salem and Its Environs _ 105 

CHAPTER X 
PALESTINE (Concluded) 
Climate — Seasons — Principal Products — Zoology — Indus- 
tries 118 

CHAPTER XI 
POLITICAL CANAAN 
Canaan Before the Conquests — The Aboriginal Races — 
The Canaanitish Tribes — Canaan as Divided Among 
the Tribes — Cities of Refuge — Shiloh, the Seat of 
Government ~ - 144 

CHAPTER XII 
THE UNDIVIDED MONARCHY 
The Kingdom of Saul — The Empires of David and Sol- 
omon — The Reign of Solomon 160 

CHAPTER Xin 
DIVISION OF SOLOMON'S EMPIRE AND LANDS OF 

THE HEBREW CAPTIVES 
The First Captivity— The Second Captivity— The Res- 
toration 173 

CHAPTER XIV 
PALESTINE IN THE DAYS OF CHRIST 
Provinces — Places of Palestine Associated with the Life 
of Christ — Places in Judea — Places in Samaria — 
Places in Galilee — Places in Perea — Places in De- 
capolis - 182 

8 



CHAPTER XV 
JOURNEYS OF THE MASTER 
Early Life of Jesus — First Year of Our Lord's Min- 
istry — The Second Year of Christ's Ministry 195 

CHAPTER XVI 
JOURNEYS OF THE MASTER (Continued) 
The Third Year of Christ's Ministry — Closing Events of 
Our Lord's Life — The Great Forty Days — Appear- 
ances of Christ After His Resurrection 216 

CHAPTER XVII 
JOURNEYS OF THE APOSTLES 
Journey of Philip — Journey of Saul — Journey of Peter — 

Journeys of Barnabas — Journeys of Saul . 230 

CHAPTER XVIII 
THE MISSIONARY JOURNEYS OF THE APOSTLE PAUL 
Paul's First Missionary Journey — Paul's Second Mission- 
ary Journey 237 

CHAPTER XIX 
THIRD MISSIONARY JOURNEY OF PAUL 
His Voyage to Rome and His Last Journey 256 

CHAPTER XX 
THE SEVEN CHURCHES OF ASIA 
Ephesus — Smyrna — Pergamos — Thyatira — Sardis — Phil- 
adelphia — Laodicea 273 



9 



I 



CHAPTEE I 



THE OLD TESTAMENT WORLD 



BOUNDARIES 

The boundaries of the Old Testament World 
can not be given with any great degree of ac- 
curacy, but the following outline will be found 
sufficient for all practical purposes. 

The eastern boundary of the Old Testament 
World was not far from a line drawn from the 
eastern side of the Caspian Sea to the south- 
eastern end of the Persian Gulf. The Mediter- 
ranean Sea and the river Nile form its western 
boundary. The northern boundary is approx- 
imately marked by a line drawn east and west 
just north of Mt. Ararat, and its southern bound- 
ary is marked by a line drawn due east from the 
northern end of the Red Sea. The term "Old 
Testament World" as used in the following 
pages, therefore, will conform to the foregoing 
description and to the accompanying map. 

AREA 

The entire history of the Old Testament 
World, covering a period of more than four 

13 



14 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



thousand years, and full of importance, was 
confined to an area somewhat less than one-half 
that of the United States, excluding Alaska. 
The area aggregates about 1,200,000 square 
miles. Of this 1,100,000 square miles was oc- 
cupied by large bodies of water. Xearly two- 
thirds of the land is a vast and uninhabitable 
desert. This brings the area actually occupied 
by man down to less than one-eighth that of the 
United States. 

SEAS 

The Old Testament "World includes six seas, 
four of which are mentioned in the Old Testa- 
ment. 

The Red Sea (Exod. 15: 4; Xum. 33: 10) lies 
in the southwestern portion of the Old Testa- 
ment "World. At its northern end it has two 
arms, the larger of which, the Gulf of Suez, lies 
to the west. This arm is generally supposed to 
be that portion of the Eed Sea crossed by the 
Israelites in their exodus from Egypt. The 
smaller arm, to the eastward, is the Gulf of 
Akabah. Between these two arms the Israelites 
spent most of the forty years of wandering. 

The Mediterranean Sea, called in Joshua "the 
great sea toward the going down of the sun," 
is the largest body of water in the Old Testa- 
ment World. It formed a part of the western 



Old Testament World 



15 



boundary and stretched away into what was then 
the unknown regions of the west. 

The Dead Sea, called in the Bible "the great 
sea of the plain" and "salt sea" (Deut. 3:17; 
Josh. 18 : 19), is 1,290 feet below the level of the 
Mediterranean. This sea lies at the lower end 
of the Jordan Vhlley and receives the waters 
of the Jordan. Below it, leading to the eastern 
arm of the Red Sea, is the Arabah, a continua- 
tion of what above the sea is the Jordan Valley. 
It was once believed that the Dead Sea marked 
the site of Sodom and Gomorrah, the destroyed 
cities of the plain. 

The Sea of Galilee, sometimes called "Lake of 
Gennesaret, ' ' lies north of the Dead Sea in the 
valley of the Jordan. The river Jordan flows 
through the Sea of Galilee. 

Two more seas of the Old Testament— the 
Caspian Sea and the Persian Gulf —yet remain 
to be noticed. These, however, are not men- 
tioned in the Bible. 

The Caspian Sea, the largest body of water on 
the globe that is entirely surrounded by land, 
occupies the northeastern corner of the Old 
Testament World. 

The Persian Gulf lies on the southern border 
of the Old Testament World, and is the outlet 
of its great river— the Euphrates. 



16 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



MOUNTAIN RANGES 

Five great mountain ranges have their origin 
in the land of Armenia. 

The Ararat Mountains are a lofty range lying 
west of the Caspian Sea. One of the mountains 
of this range is the traditional resting-place of 
the ark (Gen. 8:4). The mountain known to 
Europeans and Americans by this name has a 
double peak, one considerably higher than the 
other, towering in majestic grandeur from the 
valley of Aras, the ancient Araxes. These two 
peaks are about seven miles distant from each 
other. The higher peak is called Greater 
Ararat. The smaller peak, called Lesser Ararat, 
is lower by 4,000 feet. Greater Ararat rises to 
an elevation of 17,260 feet above the level of the 
sea and about 14,000 feet above the plain of 
Araxes, and is covered with perpetual snow for 
about 3,000 feet. On this mountain, according 
to tradition, Noah planted his vineyard. Many 
attempts have been made to reach the top of Mt. 
Ararat, but few persons have gotten beyond the 
limit of perpetual snow. A French traveler, 
Fournef ort by name, in the seventeenth century, 
persevered in the face of many difficulties, only 
to be defeated in the end. The difficult feat was 
finally accomplished by Dr. Parrot, a German 
in the employ of Russia. Later, a Mr. Anton- 
omoff also reached the summit. The ascent of 



Old Testament World 



17 



the mountain by these two gentlemen is stoutly 
denied by the natives, especially by the inmates 
of a neighboring convent, who are firm in the 
belief that in order to preserve the ark no one 
is allowed to ascend the mountain. 

The Caspian Range branches off from Mt. 
Ararat, bends around the southern end of the 
Caspian Sea, and extending eastward, forms the 
northern boundary of Media. 

The Zagros Range of mountains extends from 
Ararat in a southeasterly direction to the north- 
ern shores of the Persian Gulf, and then follows 
the gulf along its eastern shore. This range 
forms the eastern watershed of one of the 6 6 twin 
rivers," the Tigris. 

The Lebanon Range branches off from the 
western side of the Ararat Group and extends 
in a direction a little west of south, through 
Syria, Palestine, and the Sinaitic peninsula. In 
Syria it is divided into two ranges— Lebanon 
on the west of the Jordan, and Anti-Lebanon on 
the east. Its highest peak is Mt. Hermon, which 
rises 9,000 feet above the Mediterranean. To- 
ward the southern end of this range is Mt. Sinai, 
where the Lord delivered the law to Moses. The 
mountains of this range are more closely asso- 
ciated with Bible history than those of any 
other range. 

The Taurus Rwige.—The Taurus Mountains 



18 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



also branch from Ararat. Taking a westerly 
direction, they follow the southern boundary 
line of Asia Minor. 

RIVERS 

The rivers of the Old Testament, excepting 
the Nile, have their rise in the mountain chains 
which start from the highlands of Armenia. The 
first two rivers that we shall mention are asso- 
ciated with Eden, the primitive home of the hu- 
man family. 

The Tigris, called in the Bible 6 ' Hiddekel, 9 ' 
rises in the Ararat Range and flows in a south- 
easterly direction 1,146 miles, where it unites 
with the Euphrates about 100 miles from the 
Persian Gulf. (The distance from the junction 
of these rivers to the gulf was anciently much 
less than 100 miles. The rivers are constantly 
bearing away the earth from the highlands and 
depositing their burden along the border of the 
gulf, thus increasing the distance from the con- 
flux of the rivers to the gulf at a rate of about 
75 feet a year.) 

The Euphrates, meaning ' 1 the fruitful river," 
the great river of the Old Testament World, 
rises on the southern slope of Ararat. It flows 
westward, then southward, and finally south- 
easterly to where it meets the Tigris, with which 
it empties into the Persian Gulf. The stream 



Old Testament World 



19 



formed by the union of the Euphrates and the 
Tigris is called Shoat-el-Arab. The Euphrates 
at Babylon is nearly a mile wide. Though it 
flows through a Waterless desert for about 800 
miles, yet it overflows its banks every year, 
sometimes rising as high as twelve feet. This 
overflow is caused by the mountain streams 
which flow into it before it reaches the desert. 
The Euphrates is navigable for 1,200 miles 
from its mouth. This river is of great impor- 
tance in Bible history. It is associated with 
Elden, the first home of our foreparents and the 
place of their sad fall; it marked the eastern 
boundary of the land promised to faithful Abra- 
ham ; and on its banks, in the province of Baby- 
lon, the Jews spent their seventy years of cap- 
tivity. 

The River Jordan, described more particu- 
larly in a future chapter, rises at the foot of Mt. 
EOermon and flows southward between the Leb- 
anon and Anti-Lebanon ranges into the Dead 
Sea. It is one of the most important rivers men- 
tioned in the Bible. 

The River Nile, the great river of Africa, rises 
in the center of the continent and flows north- 
ward into the Mediterranean Sea (Gen. 41:1; 
Exod. 2:3). This great river is probably the 
second longest river in the world, its entire 
length being estimated by some at 4,000 miles. 



20 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



The course of the stream is now known for about 
3,300 miles. It is connected with the earliest 
history of the Egyptians and the Israelites 
(Exod. 2:3; 7:20; Num. 11:5; Psa. 105:29; 
Jer. 46:7; Zech. 14:17, 18). One great pe- 
culiarity of the river is its annual overflow, 
caused by the periodical tropical rains. It be- 
gins to rise about the last of June, and at Cairo 
sometimes rises to a height of twenty-four feet. 
The overflow of the Nile brings a rich sediment 
of soil, which is deposited over all the country 
reached by the waters. As some one has re- 
marked, ' ' Egypt is the gift of the Nile. 9 9 

The Ar axes, though included in the boundary 
of the Old Testament World, is not mentioned 
in the Bible. It rises in the northern section of 
the Ararat Eange, and, flowing in an eastwardly 
direction, empties into the Caspian Sea. 

Smaller streams west of the Jordan will be 
mentioned under Palestine. 



Old Testament World 



21 



CHAPTER II 

THE OLD TESTAMENT WORLD — 
Continued 



NATURAL DIVISIONS 

The natural divisions of the Old Testament 
World are somewhat similar to those of the 
United States of America. We have : first, the 
eastern slope, from the Zagros Mountains east- 
ward to the great salt desert ; secondly, the great 
central plain, which is mostly a desert, lying 
between the Zagros and Lebanon ranges ; third- 
ly, the western slope, lying between the Lebanon 
Range and the Mediterranean Sea. This last 
division is the most closely connected with Bible 
history. 

LANDS 

The lands of the Bible are not easily bounded, 
and their names have varied at different periods ; 
but their general location can be given with suf- 
ficient exactness to be of great value in our 
study. We shall notice them according to the 
natural divisions of the country. 

L On the eastern slope we find : 

1. Armenia, between Mt. Ararat and the 
Caspian Sea (2 Kings 19:37). 



22 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



2. Media, lying south of the Caspian Sea 
(2 Kings 17:6; Isa. 21:2). 

3. Persia, south of Media and northeast of 
the Persian Gulf (Efcra 1:1; Dan. 5: 28). 

II. In the central plain are four lands : 
Between the Zagros Mountains and the river 

Tigris are: 

1. Assyria, on the north (2 Kings 15:19; 
17:23). 

2. Elam, on the south (Gen. 14: 1; Isa. 11: 

ii). 

Between the Tigris and the Euphrates are : 

3. Mesopotamia, on the north (Gen. 24: 10; 
Deut. 23:4). 

4. Chaldea, on the south (Jer. 51: 24; Ezra 
5:12). 

Between the river Euphrates and the Leb- 
anon Range is the great desert. 

III. On the western slope are : 

1. Syria, between the Euphrates on the 
north and Palestine and Phoenicia on the south 
and west. 

2. Phoenicia, a narrow strip west of Syria, 
lying between Mt. Lebanon and the Mediter- 
ranean Sea. 

3. Palestine, or the Holy Land, lying south 
of Syria and Phoenicia along the Mediterra- 
nean and extending to the Sinaitic wilderness 
on the south. 



Old Testament World 



23 



4. The Wilderness, a barren desert south of 
Palestine, lying between the arms of the Red 
Sea, and called the Wilderness of the "Wan- 
dering, or the Peninsula of Sinai (Exod. 13: 
18; Deut. 1:19). 

5. Egypt, in the northeastern corner of 
Africa, is the land of Pharaohs, where the 
Israelites were held in bondage (Gen. 12: 10; 
37:28). 

EMPIRES 

Seven great empires occupied this territory 
successively during the period of the Old Testa- 
ment history: 

1. Old Babylonia, dating back probably as far 
as the time of Abraham. 

2. The Kingdom of Egypt, the origin of 
which is lost in antiquity. 

3. Assyria, one of whose kings carried the Is- 
raelites into captivity (2 Kings 17:6). 

4. New Babylonia, or Chaldea, the great 
kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar, the capital of 
whose empire was great Babylon, on the Eu- 
phrates. This is the king who captured Jeru- 
salem and carried the Jews to Babylonia, where 
they spent seventy years in captivity. 

5. The Medo-Persian Empire, under king 
Cyrus, whose decree ended the Babylonian cap- 
tivity. Xerxes, probably the Ahasuerus of the 



24 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



Book of Esther, was also a great king of this 
empire. 

6. The Kingdom of Greece, in connection with 
which should be remembered Alexander the 
Great, who appears in Daniel 's prophecy as the 
"notable horn" of the "he goat" (Dan. 8:5). 

7. The Roman Empire, seventh and last em- 
pire of Old Testament times and successor to 
the kingdom of Greece. This kingdom was the 
world-power at the close of Old Testament his- 
tory and at the time of the birth of Christ. 

PRINCIPAL PLACES AND CITIES 

Only the principal places and cities connected 
with Old Testament history will be mentioned 
here. 

Eden is the first locality mentioned in the Bi- 
ble, but its exact location is unknown. The 
plains of Babylon are called "Edin" in the 
ancient Sunierian language of the country, and 
the word was adopted by the Semitic Baby- 
lonians in the form of "Edinu." The Bible 
tells us that the beautiful garden in which our 
foreparents were placed was eastward in Eden, 
but leaves us entirely in the dark as to the exact 
location of Eden. Its most probable location is 
somewhere between the highlands of Armenia 
and the Persian Gulf. Some have supposed that 
Eden was located at the junction of the Tigris 



Old Testament World 



25 



and the Euphrates. This, however, is little more 
than conjecture. Oiie thing of which we are 
reasonably certain is that Eden was associated 
with the Tigris and the Euphrates (Gen. 2: 14). 
The river Hiddekel agrees in its description with 
the Tigris. 

Ur and Ear an (Gen. 11:31) will be remem- 
bered in connection with Abraham: Ur of the 
Chaldees as his native home, and Haran as his 
dwelling-place in the land of Mesopotamia. 

Damascus (Gen. 15 : 2) is the oldest city in the 
world. In Old Testament times it was the cap- 
ital of Syria. 

Hebron, a mountain city twenty miles south 
of Jerusalem, was the home of Abraham after 
his separation from his nephew Lot (Gen. 13: 
18). 

Sodom and Gomorrah, the destroyed cities of 
the plain, are supposed by some to have been 
located in the valley of the Jordan, just north 
of the Dead Sea; by others they are supposed 
to have been located below the Dead Sea. All 
that we are certain of is that they were some- 
where in this neighborhood, since Abraham from 
Hebron could see the smoke of the burning cities 
(Gen. 19:28). 

Tyre was the metropolis of Phoenicia and the 
home of King Hiram, the friend of David and 
Solomon (1 Kings 9: 11-13). 



26 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



Shusfoan, or Susa, w&s the capital of the great 
Persian Empire. In this city, in the palace of 
Ahasuerus, Queen Esther saved the lives of her 
people from the decree of death that had been 
issued at the instigation of wicked Haman (see 
the Book of Esther). 

Babylon was the capital of Chaldea and was 
situated on the river Euphrates, the river run- 
ning through the city. It will be remembered 
that Jerusalem was destroyed by the kings of 
Babylon and that many of the Jews were carried 
captive to this city. Among them were Daniel, 
who was cast into the den of lions; and Shad- 
rach, Meshach, and Abednego, who were cast 
into 6 6 the burning fiery furnace.' ' 

Nineveh, capital of Assyria, was situated on 
the Tigris. In connection with this city will be 
remembered the experience of Jonah. (Read 
the Book of Jonah.) This city was cursed by 
the prophet Nahum. (Read Nahum, chaps. 1-3.) 

Memphis (Hosea 9:6), situated on the river 
Nile, was the earliest capital of Egypt. 

Jerusalem, capital of Palestine, is the most 
important city connected with the history of the 
Bible. Before the conquest of Canaan by the 
Israelites it wJas in the possession of the Jebus- 
ites. It was the capital of David's and Solo- 
man's kingdom and the place of the temple of 



Old Testament World 



27 



the Lord. It is called the "city of the great 
King," and "the joy of the whole earth' ' (Psa. 
48:2). 



28 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



CHAPTER III 

SETTLEMENT OF NOAH'S POSTERITY 
AND REPEOPLING OF THE WORLD 
AFTER THE FLOOD 



Of the settlement of Noah's sons and the re- 
peopling of the world after the flood we have 
no detailed account. The best record we have is 
that given in the tenth chapter of Genesis. The 
Bible history is concerned mostly with the He- 
brew race. Egypt, Assyria, and other nations 
are mentioned only as they come in contact with 
the Hebrews. The settlement of the three sons 
of Noah— Shem, Ha^n, and Japheth— are, to 
speak in a general way, as follows: 

The descendants of Shem settled mainly to 
the north and east of the Red Sea. Another 
of their settlements was northeast of the Per- 
sian Gulf, and still another, along the northeast- 
ern shore of the Mediterranean. 

The descendants of Ham settled in the north 
of Africa, their territory being bounded on the 
north by the Mediterranean and on the east by 
the Eed Sea. Three other places generally sup- 
posed to have been peopled by the descendants 



Settlement of Noah's Posterity 



29 



of Ham are eastern Arabia, the great Mesopo- 
tamian Valley, and a narrow strip along the 
eastern shore of the Mediterranean. 

The descendants of Japheth occupied Asia 
Minor and the coast lands of the Mediterranean 
Sea, called in Gen. 10 : 5 the 1 1 isles of the Gen- 
tiles. ' ' Thence they spread northward over the 
whole continent of Europe and a part of Asia. 

We will notice the descendants of the three 
sons of Noah and their locations as given in the 
tenth chapter of Genesis. 

JAPHETH 

"The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, 
and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, 
and Tiras. And the sons of Gomer; Ashkenaz, 
and Eiphath, and Togarmah. And the sons of 
Javan ; Elishah, and Tarshish, Klittim, and Dod- 
anim. By these were the isles of the Gentiles 
divided in their lands; every one after his 
tongue, after their families, in their nations' ' 
(Gen. 10:2-5). We notice here seven sons, or 
families, from whom came the Japhetic nations. 
The peoples who descended from Japheth be- 
longed to what is called the Aryan, or Indo- 
Eluropean race. We will now take up the sons 
of Japheth in order as given in the text just 
quoted : 

1. Gomer.-— There were three sons of Gomer : 



30 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



Ashkenaz, Eaphath, and Togarmah. The de- 
scendants of Gomer are mentioned in Ezek. 38 :6 
as opposed to the Israelites after their captiv- 
ity. It is supposed that the Welsh, Gaelic, Irish, 
and French are descendants of Gomer. 

2. M ago g, called Gog in Ezek. 38 : 3. The pre- 
fix "Ma" is supposed to have meant land, so 
Magog would mean the land of Gog. 

3. Madai in the Scriptures is translated 
Medes, to whom belongs the Sanskrit language. 
Sanskrit is the ancient tongue of the people of 
Hindustan, or India. 

4. Javan.— In the Hebrew writings this word 
applies to the Greeks, especially to the Ionians. 
There were four sons of Javan: Elishah, Tar- 
shish, Kittim, and Dodanim. 

5. Tubal.— Josephus identifies the posterity 
of Tubal with the Iberians, inhabitants of a tract 
of country between the Caspian and Euxine seas. 

6. Meshech is often mentioned in the Scrip- 
tures in connection with Tubal, which would 
seem to indicate that they inhabited adjacent 
territories. In Ezek. 38 : 2, 3 Meshech and Tu- 
bal appear as allies of Gog. In Ezek. 27 : 13 
Meshech is mentioned with Javan and Tubal 
as merchants in slaves and brass who traded 
with the Tyrians. Meshech is spoken of in Psa. 
120: 5-7 as a quarrelsome enemy of peace. 



Settlement of Noah's Posterity 



31 



7. Tiras is usually identified with the Thra- 
cians southwest of the Black Sea. There is lit- 
tle evidence for this conclusion, however, it be- 
ing founded on a slight similarity in the names. 

HAM 

The word "Ham" signifies heat, or hot, and 
is supposed by some to allude to the climates 
which most of his posterity were to occupy. 

"And the sons of Ham; Gush, and Mizraim, 
and Phut, and Canaan. And the sons of Cush ; 
Seba, and Havilah, and Sabtah, and Eaamah, 
and Sabtechah : and the sons of Eaamah ; Sheba, 
and Dedan. And Cush begat Nimrod : he began 
to be a mighty one in the earth. He was a mighty 
hunter before the Lord: wherefore it is said, 
even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the 
Lord. And the beginning of his kingdom was 
Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the 
land of Shinar. Out of that land went forth 
Asshur, and builded Nineveh, and the city Re- 
hoboth, and Calah, and Eesen between Nineveh 
and Calah ; the same is a great city. And Miz- 
raim begat Ludim, and Anamim, and Lehabim, 
and Naphtuhim, and Pathrusim, and Casluhim 
(out of whom came Philistim), and Caphtorim. 
And Canaan begat Sidon his first-born, and 
Heth, and the Jebusite, and the Amorite, and 
the Girgasite, and the Hivite, and the Arkite, and 



32 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



the Sinite, and the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, 
and the Hamathite : and afterward were the fam- 
ilies of the Canaanites spread abroad. And the 
border of the Canaanites was from Sidon, as 
thou comest to Gerar, unto Gaza ; as thou goest, 
unto Sodom, and Goniorrah, and Admah, and 
Zeboini, even unto Lasha. These are the sons 
of Ham, after their families, after their tongues, 
in their countries, and in their nations" (Gen. 
10:6-20). 

It will be noticed that the descendants of Ham 
are named more particularly than those of Japh- 
eth. The reason for this is that they rose to 
more prominence in early history than did the 
nations which descended from Japheth. 

The Hebrews were brought into closer rela- 
tion with the descendants of Ham than with 
those of Japheth, sometimes as friends, some- 
times as enemies. As mentioned elsewhere, the 
descendants of Ham settled in the great Meso- 
potamian Valley. There were four sons of Ham : 

1. Cush.— This word throughout the Bible is 
translated Ethiopia. Generally, Cush, or Ethi- 
opia, refers to the region of Abyssinia, though 
in some cases reference is made, undoubtedly, 
to some eastern settlement of Cush, probably in 
Mesopotamia. From Jer. 13: 23 it would seem 
that the Ethiopian negro is a descendant of 
Cush. There were six sons of Cush : Seba, Hav- 



Settlement of Noah's Posterity 



33 



ilah, Sabtah, Raamah, Sabtechah, Nimrod. The 
last named was a mighty hunter before the Lord 
and the founder of the earliest Babylonian em- 
pire. 

2. Mizraim.— This word literally means the 
two Egypts, namely, Upper and Lower Egypt. 
To Mizradm were bo>rn seven sons: Ludim, 
Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, Pathrusim, Cas- 
luhim, Caphtorim. 

3. Phut.— This word has sometimes been 
translated Libya, and may refer to that section 
of northern Africa. 

4. Canaan.— The descendants of Canaan were 
the Canaanites, the ancient inhabitants of Pal- 
estine, so familiar to Bible readers. The sons 
of Canaan are mentioned in Gen. 10 : 15-18, be- 
fore quoted. Sidon, a northern seacoast town 
of Palestine, was named after the first son of 
Canaan. 

SHEM 

"Unto Shem also, the father of all the chil- 
dren of Eber, the brother of Japheth the elder, 
even to him were children born. The children 
of Shem ; Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and 
Lud, and Aram. And the children of Aram; 
Uz, and Hul, and Gether, and Mash. And Ar- 
phaxad begat Salah, and Salah begat Eber. 
And unto Eber were born two sons: the name 



34 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



of one was Peleg ; for in his days was the earth 
divided; and his brother's name was Joktan. 
And Joktan begat Almodad, and Sheleph, and 
Hazarmaveth, and Jerah, and Hadorain, and 
TIzal, and Diklah, and Obal, and Abimael, and 
Sheba, and Ophir, and Havilah, and Jobab : all 
these were the sons of Joktan. And their dwell- 
ing was from Mesha, as thou goest unto Sephar 
a mount of the east. These are the sons of 
Shem, after their families, after their tongues, 
in their lands, after their nations" (Gen. 10; 
21-31). 

Shem, though introduced last, was the eldest 
son of Noah. The reason of his being mentioned 
last is that he was the father of the race from 
which came the Hebrews, the principal nation 
of Bible history. Mention of him in this order 
serves as a fitting introduction to the narrative 
that follows. Shem was the father of five great 
races: 

1. Elam, the ancestor of the Elamites, who 
possessed the region east of the Tigris and the 
Persian Gulf. 

2. Asshur was the ancestor of the Assyrians, 
whose location was on the Tigris, and who had 
Nineveh as their capital. 

3. Arphaxad was the ancestor of Abraham 
and was supposed to have been the ancestor of 



Settlement of Noah's Posterity 



35 



the Chaldeans, whose home was on the Persian 
Gulf. The descendants of Arphaxad are named 
in Gen. 10 : 24-29. One of the grandsons of 
Arphaxad is worthy of mention here, namely, 
Eber, whose name seems to be the origin of the 
word Ebrew*, or as it is commonly written, He- 
brew. Eber's son Joktan is supposed to have 
been the father of the Arab tribes. 

4. Lud is believed by many scholars to refer 
to the Lydians, who occupied the southwestern 
border of Asia Minor, and whose empire was 
conquered by Cyrus, the great Persian general. 

5. A ram.— This word in the Bible is rendered 
Syria. To Aram were born four sons. They 
are: 

(a) Uz, whose land was the northern part of 
Arabia, bordering upon Chaldea. It will be re- 
membered that c ' there was a man in the land of 
Uz, whose name was Job." Though it seems 
most probable that Job lived about the time of 
Abraham, yet it is often supposed by the ordi- 
nary reader that he lived at a later date. 

(b) Hul was supposed to have occupied the 
country in Palestine on Lake Merom, which is 
even now called the land of Hulah. 

(c) Gether, of whose people no satisfactory 
traces have been found. 



36 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



(d) Mash. — In 1 Chron. 1:17 this name ap- 
pears as Meshech. The exact location of the 
descendants of Mash is not fixed with any great 
degree of certainty, but is supposed to have been 
a mountain region branching east from the 
Great Taurus Range. 



Journeys of the Patriarchs 



37 



CHAPTER IV 
JOURNEYS OF THE PATRIARCHS 



With the twelfth chapter of Genesis a change 
takes place in the subject of Bible history. Be- 
fore this the history deals with the entire hu- 
man race, but now it becomes concerned prin- 
cipally with Abraham and his descendants. In 
describing the journeys of the three patriarchs, 
we shall take them in their most natural order: 
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 

JOURNEYS OF ABRAHAM 

Abraham was the son of Terah, a descendant 
of Shem, eldest son of Noah. He was born in 
Ur of the Chaldees. The journeys of Abraham 
extended over the greater portion of the lands 
of the Old Testament World, from Chaldea in 
the east to Egypt in the west. 

From Ur to Haran (Gen. 11: 27-31).— "And 
Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son 
of Haran his son's son, and Sarai his daughter- 
in-law, his son Abram's wife; and they went 
forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go 
into the land of Canaan; and they came unto 
Haran, and dwelt there." Abraham, at this 



38 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



time called Abram, with his father's family left 
TJr of the Chaldees, intending to go to the land 
of Canaan, but for some reason he stopped in 
Haran. Here his father died. 

From Haran to Shechem (Gen. 12:1-9).— 
After the death of his father, Abram left Haran 
at the command of the Lord and pursued his 
journey to the land of Canaan. He first settled 
at Sichem (Shechem) in the plain of Moreh. 
Here the Lord appeared to him and said, ' ' Unto 
thy seed will I give this land. ' 9 

From Shechem to Bethel.— Having builded an 
altar unto the Lord, Abram then moved on to a 
mountain between Bethel and Hai. There he 
builded another altar and called upon the name 
of the Lord. 

Journey to Egypt. — Taking his leave from 
Bethel and Hai, Abram journeyed 6 4 still toward 
the south. " ' ' And there was a famine in the 
land: and Abram went down into Egypt to so- 
journ there; for the famine was grievous in the 
land" (Gen. 12:10). When Abram was about 
to enter Egypt, it occurred to him that the great 
beauty of Sarah, his wife, might tempt the great 
Egyptian monarch to kill him on her account ; so 
he instructed her to say that she was his sister. 
Abram 's fears were well-founded; for when he 
had entered Egypt, the Egyptians "beheld the 
woman that she was very fair"; and word soon 



Journeys of the Patriarchs 



39 



came to Pharaoh, who commanded Sarah to be 
brought before him. A plague was sent on Pha- 
raoh, and he learned that the beautiful woman 
was the wife of Abram. At this Pharaoh was 
angry with Abram and rebuked him for saying 
that Sarah was his sister and sent them out of 
the land. 

From Egypt to Bethel.— Using commanded 
by Pharaoh to quit the country, Abram, with 
great possessions, left Egypt and returned by 
the south of Palestine to his former encamp- 
ment between Bethel and Hai. Here, at the altar 
he had formerly made, Abram again called on 
the name of the Lord. Until this time Lot, 
Abram 's nephew, had journeyed with him; but 
as both had extensive flocks and herds, the land 
was not able to support them both. 1 ' For their 
substance was great, so that they could not dwell 
together. ' ' About this time there arose a strife 
between the herdsmen of Abraham and those of 
Lot. Abram and his nephew decided to part 
in peace. " And Abram said unto Lot, Let there 
be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, 
and between my herdmen and thy herdmen ; for 
we be brethren" (Gen. 13: 8). Abram gave Lot 
his choice, saying, "Is not the whole land be- 
fore thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from 
me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will 
go the right; or if thou depart to the right 



40 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



hand, then I will go the left" (Gen. 13 : 9). After 
due consideration, Lot chose the plain of Jordan 
as a'place well suited for his herds. And " Abram 
dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled 
in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent 
toward Sodom" (Gen. 13:12). 

From Bethel to Hebron.— "Then Abram re- 
moved his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain 
of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there 
an altar unto the Lord" (Gen. 13: 18). 

Abram' s Pursuit of the Elamites (Genesis 14). 
—At this time the early Babylonian empire was 
at the height of its glory. Amraphel, Arioch, 
Chedorlaomer, and Tidal— all Eastern kings- 
waged war with the aboriginal races east of the 
Jordan. The latter, led by five of their kings, 
were defeated in the battle on the field of Sid- 
dim, or the valley of the salt (Dead) sea. The 
Eastern kings then plundered the cities of the 
plain. "And they took all the goods of Sodom 
and Gomorrah, and all their victuals, and went 
their way. And they took Lot, Abram 's broth- 
er's son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and 
departed" (Gen. 14:11, 12). One who had 
escaped from the hands of the enemy came to 
Abram and informed him that Lot had been 
taken captive; whereupon Abram armed three 
hundred and eighteen of his trained servants 
and pursued the enemy as far as Dan. There 



Journeys of the Patriarchs 



41 



he attacked them by night, smote them, and pur- 
sued them as far as Hobah, which is on the left 
of Damascus. "And he brought back all the 
goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, 
and his goods, and the women also, and the 
people. And the king of Sodom went out to meet 
him after his return from the slaughter of Che- 
dorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him, 
at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king's dale ? ' 
(Gen. 14: 16, 17). The king of Sodom went out 
to meet Abram. Melchizedek, king of Salem, 
also went to meet Abram and blessed him, say- 
ing, "Blessed be Abram of the most high God, 
possessor of heaven and earth: and blessed be 
the most high God, which hath delivered thine 
enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes 
of all" (Gen. 14: 19, 20). The king of Sodom 
offered Abram all the goods which he had res- 
cued from the kings of the East, but Abram mod- 
estly refused to accept anything, except such 
provisions as his army needed. 

Removal from Hebron to the South Country. 
—After the destruction of the cities of the plain, 
Abram (henceforth called Abraham) journeyed 
from Hebron toward the south country and dwelt 
"between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in 
Gerar. • ' 

Settlement at Beersheba.— The first mention 
of Beersheba is made in Gen. 21 : 14. After the 



42 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



birth of Isaac some difficulty arose between 
Sarah and Hagar, her handmaiden, on account 
of the bad conduct of Ishmael, Abraham's son 
by Hagar ; and Sarah requested Abraham to cast 
out Hagar and her son. It grieved Abraham to 
do so, but after being instructed by the Lord he 
sent Hagar and her son away. "And she de- 
parted, and wandered in the wilderness of Beer- 
sheba. " " Beersheba ' ' means the ' ' well of oath, ' ' 
and was so named on account of an oath of fidel- 
ity taken there by Abraham, who swore to be 
true to Abimelech (Gen. 21 : 22-32). Here Abra- 
ham spent most of his later years. He made 
several journeys, but after each one we find him 
again encamped at Beersheba. 

The Journey of the Offering.— " And it came 
to pass after these things, that God did prove 
Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham ; and he 
said, Here am I. And he said, Take now thy 
son, thine only son, whom thou lovest, even 
Isaac, and get thee into the land of Moriah ; and 
offer him there for a burnt offering upon one 
of the mountains which I will tell thee of" (Gen. 
22: 1, 2, B. V.). Early the next morning after 
receiving these solemn instructions Abraham 
arose and prepared to go on his journey, taking 
with him his son Isaac to offer as a burnt-offer- 
ing in the land of Moriah. A Samaritan tradi- 
tion would have us believe that it was Mt. 



Journeys of the Patriarchs 



43 



Gerizim. The general view, however, fixes the 
place as Mt. Moriah, at Jerusalem, where in 
after-years was erected the temple of the Lord. 
Here Abraham was to be tried by the offering 
of his son. The story is well known : God having 
stayed Abraham's hand from slaying his son 
and having provided a ram for an offering. 
After this test of faith, Abraham returned to his 
family at Beersheba. 

The Return to Hebron, the Family Burying- 
place.—At the age of one hundred and twenty- 
seven years Sarah died, and "Abraham came to 
mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her." Sarah 
died at Hebron in the land of Canaan. There 
Abraham purchased a burying-place— the cave 
of Machpelah— from the children of Heth. For 
this cave Abraham gave four hundred shekels 
of silver: according to some authorities about 
$250 or $300 in our money. This cave is covered 
at the present time by a Mohammedan mosque 
and sacredly guarded against the intrusion of 
travelers. The last days of Abraham's life may 
have been spent at Hebron or at Beersheba. He 
was buried in the family sepulcher at Hebron. 

JOURNEYS OF ISAAC 

The life of Isaac was longer than that of his 
father, Abraham, or of his son Jacob ; but it was 
spent in a comparatively small range of terri- 



44 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



tory and seems to have been nmck less eventful. 

Beerlahairoi. — The first home of Isaac is sup- 
posed to have been at Beerlahairoi, an unknown 
locality in the south of Palestine, near Kadesh. 

Gerar. — On account of a famine that arose in 
the land, Isaac went to Gerar, in the land of the 
Philistines. Here the Lord appeared to him 
and warned him against going down into Egypt, 
which he might have done, following the ex- 
ample of his father. The Lord said to Isaac: 
"Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, 
and will bless thee ; for unto thee, and unto thy 
seed, I will give all these countries, and I will 
perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham 
thy father ; and I will make thy seed to multiply 
as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy 
seed all these countries ; and in thy seed shall all 
the nations of the earth be blessed; because that 
Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, 
my commandments, my statutes, and my laws. 
And Isaac dwelt in Gerar" (Gen. 26:3-6). 

Rehoboth.— Probably on account of strife be- 
tween Isaac's servants and the herdsmen of 
Gerar, Isaac removed thence and came to a place 
called Rehoboth. 

Beersheba (Gen. 26: 23-25).— We next find 
Isaac at Beersheba. After he had come to Beer- 
sheba, the Lord appeared to him by night and 
confirmed to him the promise made to his father 



Journeys of the Patriarchs 



45 



Abraham, saying, ' ' Fear not, for I am with thee, 
and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for 
my servant Abraham's sake." Isaac dwelt at 
Beersheba for some time ; and Abimelech, king 
of the Philistines, went up from Gerar and made 
a covenant with Isaac in which each agreed to 
do the other no hurt. "We saw certainly," said 
Abimelech, "that the Lord was with thee." It 
was while Isaac was living at Beersheba that the 
strife arose between his two sons, Jacob and 
Esau (Genesis 27). 

Hebron (Gen. 35: 27).— Finally, we find Isaac 
at Hebron, the ancient home of his father. Here, 
at the age of one hundred eighty years, he died 
and "was gathered unto his people." 

JOURNEYS OF JACOB 

The life of Jacob is related with more detail 
than either the life of Abraham or that of Isaac. 
Yet we encounter considerable difficulty in trac- 
ing his journeys. 

Lahairoi.— Jacob was born with his brother 
Esau probably while his parents dwelt at the 
well Lahairoi. 

Beersheba seems to have been the home of 
Jacob and his parents when he and his mother, 
by a well-known act of strategy, deprived Esau 
of the father's blessing. 



46 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



Flight from Beersheba to Harem. — After de- 
priving his brother Esau of the father's bless- 
ing, Jacob, fearing the anger and the hatred of 
his brother, fled from Beersheba and started on 
his long journey toward Haran. 

The Lodging at Bethel.— At Bethel he tarried 
over night. Taking a stone for his pillow, he 
fell asleep and dreamed that he saw a ladder set 
upon the earth, the top of which reached to 
heaven, and the angels of the Lord ascending 
and descending upon it. ' ' And, behold, the Lord 
stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of 
Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac : the 
land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, 
and to thy seed; and thy seed shall be as the 
dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad 
to the west, and to the east, and to the north, 
and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed 
shall all the families of the earth be blessed. 
And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee 
in all places whither thou goest, and will bring 
thee again into this land; for I will not leave 
thee, until I have done that which I have spoken 
to thee of" (Gen. 28: 13-15). These last verses 
will be recognized as a repetition of the promises 
God had formerly made to Abraham and to 
Isaac. 

Arrival at Haran. — leaving Bethel, Jacob con- 
tinued his journey until he came to Haran in 



Journeys of the Patriarchs 



47 



Padan-aram, a distance of about 250 miles from 
Beersheba. Here he remained for some time 
and gathered much goods and married his two 
wives, Leah and Rachel. 

The Return to Canaan (Genesis 31-33).— 
Having married Laban's two daughters, for 
whom he had served fourteen years, and having 
gathered large herds, Jacob departed to return 
to Canaan. It was an eventful journey, during 
which he was comforted by a vision of angels, 
wrestled with the angel of God, and finally was 
reconciled to his brother Esau. At Shalem, near 
Shechem, he rested in the land of promise. 

Shechem to Bethel (Genesis 34, 35).— Diffi- 
culties that arose betwleen the sons of Jacob and 
the Shechemites caused Jacob and his family to 
move farther south. At the command of the 
Lord, Jacob journeyed to Bethel, where he made 
an altar unto the Lord and commanded his fam- 
ily to put away all strange gods. 

Departure from Bethel.— Leaving Bethel, he 
came to Ephrath, or Bethlehem. During this 
journey Rachel, his beloved wife, died. "And 
Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Eph- 
rath, which is Bethlehem. And Jacob set a 
pillar upon her grave: that is the pillar of 
Rachel's grave unto this day" (Gen. 35: 19, 20). 

Arrival ut Hebron.— 66 And Jacob came unto 
Isaac his father unto Mamre, unto the city of 



48 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



Arbah, which is Hebron, where Abraham and 
Isaac sojourned" (Gen. 35:27). Isaac, being 
now "old and full of days," died; and Esau and 
Jacob buried him in the family sepulcher. It 
was while Jacob was living at Hebron that his 
son Joseph was sold as a slave to the Midianites 
and carried into Egypt. 

The Descent into Egypt.— On account of a 
great famine which arose in the land, Jacob sent 
his sons into Egypt to buy corn. "Now when 
Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob 
said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon 
another? And he said, Behold, I have heard that 
there is corn in Egypt: get you down thither, 
and buy for us from thence, that we may live, 
and not die" (Gen. 42: 1, 2). While in Egypt 
they were recognized by their brother Joseph, 
who was then prince of Pharaoh's house. At 
the invitation of his son Joseph, Jacob and all 
his house went, down into Egypt and dwelt in 
the land of Goshen. Here the Israelites were 
held in bondage for more than four hundred 
years. 

The Funeral Procession (Genesis 50) .—Jacob, 
realizing that his time had come to die, called to 
him his sons and gave them his last solemn 
charge. "And when Jacob had made an end of 
commanding his sons, he gathered up his feet 
into the bed, and yielded up the ghost, and was 



Journeys of the Patriarchs 



49 



gathered unto his people." After his death his 
body was embalmed. Obtaining permission from 
Pharaoh, Joseph, with many servants and elders 
of Egypt, and all the house of Joseph, and his 
brethren and his father's house, went up with 
chariots and horsemen, a very great company, 
and buried their father in the cave of the vale 
of Machpelah at Hebron, the place where Abra- 
ham and Isaac and others of their family had 
been buried. 



50 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



CHAPTER V 

LANDS OF THE SOJOURN AND OF THE 
WANDERING 



In the preceding chapter, you will remember, 
we followed Jacob in his last journey to the land 
of Egypt. After the death of Jacob, his de- 
scendants—the twelve tribes of Israel— re- 
mained in the land of the Pharaohs for many 
years. "And the children of Israel were fruit- 
ful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, 
and waxed exceedingly mighty; and the land 
was filled with them" (Exod. 1:7). At the time 
when they left Egypt there were 603,550 men of 
war. 

EGYPT— THE LAND OF THE SOJOURN 

Names.— The most common Bible name is 
Mizraim, which is in the plural form. Three 
times it is referred to as "the land of Ham" 
(Psa. 105: 23, 27; 106: 22). The present name, 
"Egypt," was given by the Greeks. The an- 
cient Egyptian name is "Kem" or "Chem," 
meaning black, from the color of the soil. 

Location and Boundaries. — Egypt is situated 
in the northeastern extremity of Africa. Unlike 



Lands of Sojourn and Wandering 



51 



many other lands, its limiits appear to have been 
nearly the same in all ages. It is bounded on 
the north by the Mediterranean ; on the east by 
Palestine, Arabia, and the Red Sea; on the south 
by Nubia ; and on the west by the great desert. 

Natural Features.— Excluding the sandy and 
rocky wastes, Egypt has two natural divisions : 
the delta, or Lower Egypt, and the Nile Valley, 
or Upper Egypt. These two divisions account 
for the plural form of the ancient name "Miz- 
raim," meaning "the two Egypts." Lower 
Egypt, in the delta of the Nile, is a vast trian- 
gular plain extending along the Mediterranean 
for about two hundred miles and up the Nile for 
one hundred miles. The valley of the Nile, in 
Upper Egypt, is from two to ten miles wide and 
is very fertile. 

The Nile has been in all ages the chief natural 
feature of Egypt. Without it Egypt would be 
nothing but a barren desert. Its sources are in 
the great lakes of central Africa. The main 
stream is the White Nile, so called on account 
of the color of the mud it brings. In Nubia it 
receives its principal tributary, the Blue Nile, 
which rises in Abyssinia. During the last 1,500 
miles of its course the Nile receives no tributary, 
and yet it reaches the Mediterranean a mighty 
river. Its annual overflow 1 , due to the rains in 
central Africa, brings down new soil, thus keep- 



52 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



ing the land ever new and extremely fertile. The 
Nile was worshiped by the ancients, probably be- 
cause it blessed their land with new soil each 
year. The seven years of fanrine in the days of 
Joseph may have been caused by the failure of 
the Nile to overflow its banks. 

On each side of the country is a barren desert 
of drifting sand. In Lower Egypt the country 
is intersected by branches of the Nile and nu- 
merous canals, and in Upper Egypt the narrow 
fertile valley of the Nile is closely hemmed in 
by rocky cliffs. Lower Egypt is now covered 
with groves of palm-trees and the remains of 
ancient cities and villages. 

Climate.— The climate of Egypt is remark- 
ably equal. The temperature varies hardly as 
much as fifty degrees during the year. For eight 
months of the year the heat is tempered by re- 
freshing winds. In Upper Egypt clouds are sel- 
dom, if ever, seen, while mists, rain, and snow 
are unknown ; but in Lower Egypt along the sea- 
coast, rain is frequent. Upper Egypt is more 
healthful than Lower Egypt. The most un- 
healthful time of the year is the latter part of 
autumn, when the inundated soil is drying. The 
heat is extreme during a great part of the year, 
but it is chiefly felt when accompanied by the 
hot winds of spring and the sultry calm of the 
season of the inundation. In middle winter in 



Lands of Sojourn and Wandering 



53 



Lower Egypt the general range of the thermom- 
eter is from fifty to sixty degrees Fahrenheit in 
the afternoon shade. In the hottest seasons of 
the year it is from ninety to one hundred de- 
grees, and about ten degrees higher in the upper 
parts of Egypt. 

Principal Products.— It is useless to speak of 
the products of Egypt except those which grow 
in the Nile Valley, which for productiveness of 
vegetation has no equal in the world. The most 
common fruits are dates of various kinds, grapes 
—of which the white grape is the most common 
variety— figs, bananas, pomegranates, apricots, 
oranges, peaches, lemons, melons, and olives. 
The vegetables are of various kinds and very 
common, so that we can not wonder that the 
children of Israel longed for them in the wilder- 
ness. The principal garden vegetables are beans, 
peas, spinach, onions, leeks, celery, radishes, 
turnips, cabbage, lentiles, parsley, gourds, let- 
tuce, cucumbers, and coriander. The chief field 
products are wheat, barley, maize, rice, oats, 
millet, sugar-cane, and cotton. 

Animals.— The animals of Egypt are not of 
great importance, though there are some points 
of interest in this connection. The absence of 
jungle and of forest, and the consequent scarcity 
of cover afforded to beasts of prey as well as to 
other wild animals, is partly the cause of there 



54 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



being so few of them. Few birds of beautiful 
plumage are found, probably for the same rea- 
son. We will divide the animals into two 
classes : domestic animals and wild animals. Of 
domestic animals the camel, horse, mule, ass, 
sheep, and goat are the most common. Of wild 
animals the most common are the wolf, fox, 
jackal, hyena, weasel, jerboa, hare, gazelle, hip- 
popotamus, and crocodile. The Nile abounds in 
fish. Insects, of which the scorpion is the most 
dangerous, are found in abundance. Flies, fleas, 
beetles, and bugs of various kinds abound in 
swarms and attack both man and beast. Of 
birds, the vulture, eagle, falcon, hawk, kite, crow, 
lark, sparrow, hoopoo, and the ostrich are the 
most common. The Cobra, cerastes, and other 
species of venomous snakes abound and are yet 
the dread of native and of traveler. Swarms of 
locusts occasionally sweep over the country. 

Industries.— Industrial arts held a most im- 
portant place among the Efgyptians. Among the 
chief contributors to the riches of the country 
were the workers in fine flax and the weavers of 
white linen (Isa. 19:9). The linen of Egypt 
found its way to Palestine (Prov. 7: 16). Pot- 
tery and earthenware wtas an important branch 
of the native manufactures. This industry gave 
employment to the Hebrews during their bond- 
age (Psa. 68 : 13 ; 81 : 6 ; Exod. 1 : 14). 



Lunds of Sojourn and Wandering 



55 



THE PENINSULA OF SINAI 

Area and Boundaries.— The Wilderness of the 
Wandering is a name sometimes applied to the 
Sinaitic Peninsula, the region lying in a trian- 
gle bounded as follows : Egypt and the Gulf of 
Suez on the southwest ; the Arabah and the Gulf 
of Akabah on the southeast ; and the Negeb, or 
south country of Judea, on the north. On the 
north a line drawn east and west from the bor- 
der of Egypt to the Dead Sea measures about 
200 miles. The distance from the Mediterranean 
to the southern hills of the Sinaitic Peninsula is 
about 225 miles. The territory thus bounded 
has an area of about 22,500 square miles. To 
call this entire region the Wilderness of the 
Wandering is not exactly correct, for the Israel- 
ites did not wander over this entire country. 
Only the northern portion of the peninsula, 
strictly speaking, is the Wilderness of the Wan- 
dering. 

General Description.— This entire region is a 
desert tableland of varying elevations. In the 
south the mountains rise to more than 8,000 feet 
above the level of the sea. The mountains of 
this region are wild, bare, and desolate. They 
have been called the Alps of Arabia. Unlike 
the Alps, however, they are stripped of all the 
clothing with which nature has so richly clad 
the European hills. Valuable minerals are to 



56 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



be found in this mountain region. Many years 
before the wandering of the children of Israel 
in this wilderness the Egyptians came here for 
copper. 

Physical Features.— In this region we find, to 
speak in general terms, two kinds of country: 
the mountain regions and the wildernesses. 

1. Mountain Regions.— Toward the southern 
point of the triangle is a wedge-like cluster of 
granite mountains. They lie in such a rugged 
and irregular position as to scarcely admit of 
any systematic classification. The highest peaks 
are from 8,000 to 9,000 feet above the sea. Ly- 
ing between the mountains are deep gorges or 
valleys. The mountain ranges extend down the 
eastern side of the Gulf of Suez and the western 
side of the Gulf of Akabah and meet in the south- 
ern portion of the peninsula. Some have sup- 
posed that Horeb is the name of the mountain 
range and that Sinai is the name of some par- 
ticular mountain; others, to the contrary, have 
supposed that Sinai is the name of the range 
and that Horeb was the particular mountain 
from which Moses received the law. At least 
five mountains have at different times been 
pointed out as the one from which Moses re- 
ceived the law ; but we are still left in consider- 
able doubt concerning this question, which has 
been the source of protracted and animated dis- 



Lands of Sojourn and Wandering 



57 



cussibn. Jebel Musa, or the Mount of Moses, 
situated a little northwest of the center of the 
Sinaitic Group, has long been considered the 
most probable one from which the law was given 
to Moses. Jebel Musa is the general name ap- 
plied to a cluster of mountains two miles long 
and one mile broad extending northeast and 
southwest. At its southern extremity is a peak 
7,363 feet in height, which is the traditional 
Mount of Moses. The peak Ras Sufsafeh, sit- 
uated a little northwest of the center of the Sina 
itic Group, and rising 6,500 feet above the sea, 
is thought by more recent authorities to be the 
real mountain from which the law was given. 

2. The Wilderness.— We will take up in order 
each wilderness as it was passed through by 
the children of Israel. 

Lying between the Gulf of Suez and the moun- 
tain range is a narrow plain following the coast 
line. The northwestern section of this plain is 
called the Wilderness of Etham. The children 
of Israel, after crossing the Red Sea, journeyed 
in a southeasterly direction between the moun- 
tains and the sea, passing through the southern 
portion of the Wilderness of Ettham. 

Farther south and opposite the Sinaitic group 
of mountains is the Wilderness of Sin. This 
wilderness extends twenty-five miles along the 
eastern shore of the Gulf of Suez. Here the 



58 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



Israelites were fed with manna and quails. It 
is for the most part barren, but has a little vege- 
tation. 

The Wilderness of Sinai is a desert land ly- 
ing adjacent to Mt. Sinai. 

North of the Sinaitic Group, stretching away 
toward the Mediterranean, lies the 4 ' great and 
terrible wilderness"— the Wilderness of Paran 
and of Shur; the Wilderness of Paran to the 
south and the Wilderness of Shur to the north, 
bordering on the Mediterranean. 

Between the Gulf of Akabah and the Dead 
Sea lies the Wilderness of Zin along the Arabah. 
Strictly speaking, the Wilderness of Paran and 
the Wilderness of Zin are the wildernesses of 
the wandering. 

From the time the Israelites left Eameses, un- 
til they reached Kadesh-Barnea it can hardly be 
said that they were wandering; this was rather 
their journey toward the promised land. But 
after they disobeyed at ICadesh-Barnea, they 
were condemned to wander in the 4 4 great and 
terrible wilderness 99 for forty years. 

A part of the southern portion of the Negeb, 
or south country, belongs to the Wilderness of 
the Wandering. 



Lands of Sojourn and Wandering 



59 



THE LAND OF EDOM 

Nume.— The land of Edom was so called after 
Esau, first-born son of Isaac and twin brother 
of Jacob. When Esau sold his birthright to 
Jacob for a meal of pottage, his name was called 
Edom (Gen. 25:30). Hence, the country that 
the Lord gave Esau was called the country of 
Edom (Gen. 32:3). His descendants were 
called Edomites. The names Mt. Seir and 
Idumea are also given to Edom. 

Boundaries.— Edom was bounded on the north 
by the land of the Moabites, the boundary be- 
tween them being the brook Zered; on the east 
by the great Arabian Desert; on the south by 
the land of the Midianiites and the Gulf of 
Akabah; and on the west by the Arabah, the 
sunken valley running north and south between 
the Gulf of Akabah and the Dead Sea. Some are 
of the opinion, however, that the land of Edom 
extended to the west of the Arabah and to the 
south of Palestine. 

Physical Features.— The land of Edom was 
wholly a mountainous country. A line of low 
limestone hills skirts its western border along 
the Arabah ; back of these the mountains rise to 
a height of about two thousand feet. The east- 
ern side of the mountains slopes gradually away 
to the Arabian Desert. The land, though rugged 
and mountainous, is rich and fertile. The bless- 



60 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



ing of Esau (Gen. 27:39, 40) has been abun- 
dantly fulfilled in a land of ' ' fatness of the earth, 
and of the dew of heaven." 

Bozrah was the ancient capital of Edom ( Jer. 
49: 22). Selah seems to have been a prominent 
city and stronghold in the days of Amaziah (2 
Kings 14:7). Eloth and Ezion-Geber, at the 
head of the Gulf of Akabah, were its seaports. 
At Ezion-Geber Solomon builded a navy of ships, 
which were manned by the servants of King 
Hiram (1 Kings 9: 26; read also 2 Sam. 8: 14). 

THE LAND OF MOAB 

Name and Boundaries.— Moab was the son of 
Lot's eldest daughter, the progenitor of the 
Moabites. The land of Moab was bounded on 
the south by the brook Zered and the land of 
Edom; on the west by the Dead Sea; on the 
north by the river Arnon; on the east by the 
desert. In the widest sense, the land of Moab 
included the region anciently occupied by the 
Amorites (read Num. 21:32, 33; 22:1; 26:3; 
33:48; Deut. 34:1). 

Territory.— Before the exodus of the Israel- 
ites from Egypt, the Moabites, after expelling 
the original inhabitants, had possessed them- 
selves of the region on the east of the Dead Sea 
and of the Jordan, as far north as the river Jab- 
bok. But the northern— and indeed the finest 



Lands of Sojourn and Wandering 



61 



and best portion of the territory, namely, that 
extending from the Jabbok to the Arnon— had 
passed into the hands of the Amorites, who 
founded there one of their kingdoms, with Hesh- 
bon for its capital (ISTum. 21: 26). Og had es- 
tablished another at Bashan. Hence at the time 
of the exodus the river Arnon constituted the 
northern boundary of Moab (Num. 21: 13). As 
the Hebrews advanced in order to take posses- 
sion of Canaan, they did not enter the territory 
proper of the Moabites (Dent. 2:9), but con- 
quered the kingdom of the Amorites (a Canaan- 
itish tribe), whose territory had formerly be- 
longed to Moab, whence the western part lying 
along the Jordan frequently occurs under the 
name of Plains of Moab (Deut. 1 : 5 ; 34 : 1). 

Physical Features.— Excepting the Plain of 
Moab in the valley of the Jordan, the land of the 
Moabites is a mountainous country of rolling 
table-lands. It is well suited for pastures (see 
2 Kings 3:4). 

FROM EGYPT TO CANAAN 

Having given the geography of Egypt, of the 
Wilderness of the Wandering, of the land of 
Edom, and of the land of Moab, we shall now 
give a brief sketch of the travels of the Israelites 
from Egypt to the promised land. There are 
many difficulties to encounter, and many places 



62 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



can not be located. The order of the events and 
of the encampments is also somewhat difficult to 
give with certainty. The general course of their 
journey, however, can be traced with a degree of 
accuracy. We shall divide the entire journey 
into four parts: first, the exodus; second, the 
journey from the Red Sea to Kadesh-Barnea ; 
third, the wandering; fourth, the final march. 

The Exodus.— From Barneses to the Red Sea 
(Exod. 12-14; Num. 33:5-8) there were three 
encampments : Succoth, Etham, Pi-Hahiroth. 
Departing from Pi-Hahiroth before Baal-Zeph- 
on, they came to the Red Sea, and being now 
pursued by the armies of Pharaoh in the rear 
and shut in by the mountains and the sea, the 
Israelites were in great despair, and they re- 
proached Moses, saying, "Because there were 
no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away 
to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou 
dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of 
Egypt?" (Exod. 14:11). "And Moses said 
unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see 
the salvation of the Lord, which he will show 
to you to-day: for the Egyptians whom ye have 
seen to-day, ye shall see them again no more 
forever. The Lord shall fight for you, and ye 
shall hold your peace" (Exod. 14: 13, 14). What 
followed is too well known to the student to be 
repeated in detail here. God stretched forth his 



Lands of Sojourn and Wandering 



63 



hand and delivered his people, and the Egyp- 
tians were drowned in the Red Sea. 

From the Red Sea to Kadesh-Barnea.— The 
journey from the R^d Sea to Kfodesh being 
broken at Sinai, naturally divides itself into two 
smaller journeys: first, from the Red Sea to 
Sinai; second, from Sinai to Kadesh-Barnea. 

From the Red Sea to Sinai.— After three 
days' journey along the eastern shore of the 
Red Sea the host encamped at Marah in the 
"Wilderness of Etham, The next encampment 
was at Elim. Here there were twelve fountains 
of water and seventy palm-trees. Removing 
from Elim, they encamped again by the Red 
Sea. Here for the last time they saw the waters 
of the western arm of the Red Sea and the 
land of Egypt beyond. After their leaving camp 
at the Red Sea we find them next encamped in 
the Wilderness of Sin. The next camp was at 
Dophkah. Departing from Dophkah, they en- 
camped at Alush. "And they removed from 
Alush, and encamped at Rephidim, where was 
no water for the people to drink." Departing 
from Rephidim, they encamped in the Wilder- 
ness of Sinai. 

The journey from Rameses to Mt. Sinai oc- 
cupied about two and one-half years. The prin- 
cipal events that occurred at Mt. Sinai were the 
giving of the law (Exodus 19), worshiping and 



64 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



destroying of the golden calf (Exodus 32), 
building and consecrating of the tabernacle (Ex- 
odus 35), numbering and organizing of the peo- 
ple (Numbers 1, 2). 

From Mt Sinai to Kadesh-Barnea.— After 
spending about one year in the vicinity of Mt. 
Sinai, the Israelites started again on their jour- 
ney. Their course now lay in a northeasterly 
direction following the valleys between the 
mountain ranges toward the Wilderness of Par- 
an (read Xum. 10:11-13). After journeying 
three days (Xum. 10:33) they encamped at 
Taberah. Taberah, meaning fire, was so named 
because the fire of the Lord, on account of their 
complaints, "consumed them that were in the 
uttermost parts of the camp. ' ' The next station 
was Kibroth-Hatt&avah ( Xum. 11: 34), 66 the 
graves of lust," so named because here were 
buried those who lusted after flesh and dis- 
pleased the Lord and were smitten with a 
plague. The next station was Hazeroth (Num. 
11 : 35). Here Miriam and Aaron spoke against 
Moses and created a dissension, as a punishment 
for which Miriam was smitten with leprosy, but 
was healed by the prayer of Moses. "And Moses 
cried unto the Lord, saying, Heal her now, 
God, I beseech thee" (Xum. 12:13). Remov- 
ing from Hazeroth, they came to the mountain 
of the Amorites (Deut. 1:19), probably some 



Lands of Sojourn and Wandering 65 

mountain on the border of the Wilderness of 
Paran (Num. 12: 16). We next find the Israel- 
ites at Kadesh-Barnea (Num. 13 :26 ; Dent. 1 :19) . 
The location of Kadesh-Barnea has been a ques- 
tion of long discussion. The two locations that 
seem to have gained the most favor with Bible 
students are: first, the one directly south of 
Palestine in the Negeb, or the south country; 
second, a place in the Wilderness of Zin south 
of the Dead Sea. From Kadesh-Barnea the 
twelve spies were sent northward into Canaan 
to spy out the land. The evil reports of ten of 
them caused the hosts of the Israelites to mur- 
mur against Moses and Aaron, saying, ' ' Would 
God we had died in this wilderness, ' ' whereupon 
the Lord was displeased with them, and said: 
" Your carcases shall fall in this wilderness ; and 
all that were numbered of you, according to your 
whole number, from twenty years old and up- 
ward, which have murmured against me, doubt- 
less ye shall not come into the land, concerning 
which I sware to make you dwell therein, save 
Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son 
of Nun. But your little ones, which ye said 
should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they 
shall know the land which we have despised. 
But as for you, your carcases, they shall fall 
in the wilderness. And your children shall wan- 
der in the wilderness forty years, and bear your 



66 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



whoredoms until your carcases be wasted in the 
wilderness. After the number of the days in 
which ye searched the land, even forty days, each 
day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, 
even forty years, and ye shall know my breach 
of promise'' (Num. 14:29-34). After Moses 
had told the children of Israel of the Lord's dis- 
pleasure and of the penalty of their disobedi- 
ence, they said, "We be here, and will go up 
unto the place which the Lord hath promised." 
Moses warned them of their folly and told them 
that their expedition would not prosper, and said 
to them, "Go not up, for the Lord is not among 
you; that ye be not smitten before your en- 
emies." Unheeding their leader's advice, they 
presumed to go out to battle. As a consequence 
they were miserably defeated and driven back. 
From this time begins properly the wandering 
in the wilderness. Heretofore they could hardly 
be said to have been wandering; they had been 
journeying by the direction of the Lord under 
the leadership of Moses from the land of bond- 
age to the land of promise. But now, being for- 
saken by the Lord and defeated by their en- 
emies, they were condemned to wander about 
unguided in the barren wilderness. 

The Wandering in the Wilderness.— Of the 
forty years of wandering we have but little ac- 
count. Several of the encampments are given 



Lands of Sojourn and Wandering 



67 



in the thirty-third chapter of Numbers. But 
their location, with the exception of two or three, 
has not been even guessed at. We will now di- 
vide what is known of this period into three di- 
visions. First, from Kjadesh-Barnea to Mose- 
roth. The latter is named in connection with 
Aaron's death (Deut. 10: 6), which would seem 
to locate the place near Mt. Hbr. In this jour- 
ney they passed through twelve stations, the lo- 
cations of which are unknowii (Num. 33 : 17-30). 
Second, from Mt. Hor they wandered down the 
Arabah southward to Ejzion-Geber at the head of 
the Gulf of Akabah. In the third section of their 
wanderings they journeyed from Ezion-Geber 
to Kadesh-Barnea, completing the years of their 
wandering. A dark cloud hangs over the his- 
tory during this period; but after the Israelites 
had paid the penalty for their sin, we find them 
again at Kadesh-Barnea. 

The Final March.— The final march was from 
Kadesh-Barnea southward to Elath, which was 
near the southern extremity of Mt. Seir and near 
the head of the Gulf of Akabah, and thence 
northward to the plains of Moab, which lie east 
of the Jordan and opposite Jericho. The back- 
ward journey from Kadesh to Elath was ne- 
cessitated because of the Edomites' refusal to 
allow the Israelites to pass through their land, 
and because the attitude of the Philistines and 



68 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



of other Canaanitish tribes had made it imprac- 
ticable for them to enter the promised land by 
the southern route. The only way left for them 
was to go back to Elath around Mt. Seir and pass 
along the east of the land of the Edomites. After 
reaching Elath they passed around the point of 
Mt. Seir and began their long northward march, 
traveling through the land of Teman between 
Edom and the Arabian Desert. Crossing the 
brook Zered, they entered the land of Moab. 
The Moabites allowed them a peaceful passage. 
They soon reached the river Arnon and entered 
the land of the Amorites. After defeating Sihon, 
king of the Amorites, and Og, king of Bashan, 
they at last settled in the valley of the Jordan 
opposite Jericho. Among other important 
events that happened here, Moses ascended the 
heights of Mt. Nebo, saw at a distance the prom- 
ised land to which he had thus far led the peo- 
ple of God, died, and was buried by the angel 
of the Lord. At the command of the Lord the 
Israelites once more prepared to march. The 
waters of the Jordan miraculously opened to 
them, and they passed through the river-bed on 
dry land and at last pitched their tents near the 
city of Jericho in the blessed land of promise. 



The New Testament World 



71 



CHAPTER VI 
THE NEW TESTAMENT WORLD 

In this chapter— The Geography of the New 
Testament World— we shall deal with the most 
important features, giving general outlines only. 
We employ this method because in later chapters 
we shall take up in particular the geography of 
Palestine and the missionary journeys of the 
apostle Paul, which will cover in detail much 
of the same territory. 

In the four hundred years between the his- 
tory of the Old Testament and that of the New, 
Bible geography moves with the course of em- 
pire westward about one thousand miles, and 
Jerusalem, which in Old Testament times was 
near the center of our map, is in New Testa- 
ment times located near the eastern border. Thus 
the valley of the Euphrates and of the Tigris, 
the cradle of the human family and the birth- 
place of the early empires, passes from our map, 
and the lands westward along the Mediterranean 
come to view. 

We shall now take up the geography of the 
New Testament World in the following order: 

1. Seas. 

2. Islands. 



72 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



3. Provinces. 

4. Principal cities. 

The most important mountains and rivers of 
New Testament history will be studied under 
Palestine. 

SEAS 

The Mediterranean Sea, the largest and most 
important sea of the New Testament about 
whose shores are grouped many of the lands 
mentioned in the New Testament. That part of 
the Mediterranean from its eastern extremity 
to the western shores of Italy is included in New 
Testament geography. Eeference is made to it 
throughout the Acts of the Apostles. 

The Sea of Galilee, called in Luke 5 : 1 6 ' Lake 
of Gennesaret" and in John 6:1 "Sea of Ti- 
berias," was closely associated with the life of 
Christ. It is located in the Jordan Valley, in 
the northern part of Palestine. 

The Black Sea forms the northern boundary 
of Asia Minor. About its shores were grouped 
most of the Eoman provinces visited by the 
apostle Paul and other ministers of the early 
church. 

The Aegean Sea lies between Greece and the 
western shore of Asia Minor. Turkey is on its 
northern shore. 



The New Testament World 



73 



The Adriatic Sea (Acts 27:27) lies between 
Greece and Illyricum on the east and Italy on 
the west. In New Testament times it seems to 
have extended as far south as the Islands of 
Crete and Sicily. 

The Dead Sea, though lying so near Jerusalem 
and included in the land of Palestine, where so 
much of the New Testament history was made, 
is not mentioned in the New Testament. It lies 
at the mouth of, and receives the waters of, the 
Jordan. 

ISLANDS 

Of the many islands found in the New Testa- 
ment seas, we shall notice only ten. 

Cyprus (Acts 4:36) is in the northeastern 
corner of the Mediterranean Sea, about fifty 
miles from the western shore of Syria, and 
about twenty-five miles from the southern shore 
of Cilicia, 

Crete (Acts 27: 7, 12, 13, 21) lies in the Med- 
iterranean directly south of the Aegean Sea. 

Sicily, the farthest west of all the islands men- 
tioned in the New Testament, lies southwest of 
Italy. 

Rhodes is south of the western part of Asia 
Minor and southeast of the Aegean Sea. Paul 
stopped at this island on one of his missionary 
tours (Acts 21: 1). 



74 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



Melita (Acts 28:1), now called Malta, is a 
small island south of Sicily. 

Patmos is a small island in the Aegean Sea 
not far from Ephesus. This island was the exile 
home of the apostle John, and it was there that 
he wrote the book of Kevelation (Rev. 1:9). 

Samothracia, a small but conspicuous island 
in the northern part of the Aegean Sea, rises 
to a height of 5,250 feet. 

Chios, Coos, and Samos, in the eastern part 
of the Aegean Sea were touched by Paul as he 
returned to Jerusalem from a missionary tour 
(Acts 20:15; 21:1). 

PROVINCES 

We will group the provinces under four 
heads: (1) those on the continent of Europe; 
(2) those in Africa; (3) those in Asia; (4) those 
in Asia Minor. 

1. Those of Europe are : Thrace, on the west- 
ern shore of the Black Sea; Macedonia, north- 
west of the Aegean Sea; Greece (also called 
Achaia), the peninsula between the Aegean and 
Adriatic Seas ; Illyricum, north of Greece on the 
eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea. 

2. The provinces of Africa are: Africa 
proper, to the westward; Egypt, to the east- 
ward ; and Libya, in the center. All are on the 
southern shore of the Mediterranean. 



The New Testament World 



75 



3. Those on the continent of Asia are: 
Arabia, southeast of Palestine ; Judea, a Jewish 
name applied to the land of Palestine, on the 
eastern shore of the Mediterranean; Phoenicia, 
north of Palestine along the Mediterranean; 
Syria, east of Phoenicia and north of Palestine. 

4. The provinces of Asia Minor are the most 
important and should be memorized by the stu- 
dent because they are so frequently mentioned in 
the Acts and the Epistles. 

To assist in memorizing these provinces we 
will arrange them under their initial letters: 
M— Q-— L— 0— B— P. To readily call to mind 
the initial letters we suggest the following sen- 
tence, the first letter of each word being the 
initial of one or more provinces : My Geography 
Lesson Comes By Perseverance. 

Under M we have only one province— My sia. 

Under G we have one province— Galatia. 

Under L we have three provinces— Lycaonia, 
Lycia, Lydia. 

Under C we have three provinces— Cappa- 
docia, Caria, Cilicia. 

Under B we have only one province— 
Bithynia. 

Under P we have five provinces— Paphla- 
gonia, Pamphylia, Pisidia, Pontus, Phrygia. 



76 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



As to location, they are grouped as follows: 
On the Black Sea: Pontus, Paphlagonia, 
Bithynia. 

On the Aegean Sea : Mysia, Lydia, Caria. 
In the interior : Gralatia, Cappadocia, Lyca- 

onia, Lycia. 
On the Mediterranean : Pamphylia, Cilicia, 

Pisidia, Phrygia. 

PRINCIPAL CITIES 

Under this heading we will notice only those 
places that are the most important politically 
and geographically, leaving to a future lesson 
those places which, though small and insignifi- 
cant in some respects, are more closely connected 
with the gospel narrative and therefore most 
important to the Bible student. 

Jerusalem, the religious center and the capital 
of the Jewish world, the earliest home of the 
Christian church, and the place from which the 
gospel began to be published. Jesus said to his 
disciples, 4 6 That repentance and remission of 
sins should be preached in his name among all 
nations, beginning at Jerusalem' ' (Luke 24 : 47 ) . 

Antioch, to the north of Jerusalem, capital of 
Syria. 

Tarsus, a city in Cilicia and the birthplace of 
the apostle Paul. 



The New Testament World 



77 



Ephesus, metropolis of Asia Minor, in the 
province of Lydia. 

Philippi, in Macedonia, the place where Paul 
and Silas were imprisoned. 

Thessalonica, principal city of Macedonia. 
Paul's two epistles to the Thessalonians were 
addressed to the church at this place. 

Corinth, metropolis and political capital of 
Greece. 

Athens, literary center of Greece, and the 
place where Paul preached on Mars' Hill. 

Caesarea, Roman seat of government for the 
province of Judea. 

Damascus, in the southern part of Syria. Paul 
was journeying to this city with authority to 
bind and persecute the Christians, when he was 
converted to Christ. 

Alexandria, the commercial center of Egypt. 

Rome, the imperial city, the seat of the great 
Roman Empire, and the place where the apostle 
Paul spent his last days. 



78 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



CHAPTER VII 
PHYSICAL PALESTINE 

When we consider that more than two-thirds 
of the events of Bible history are associated 
with the land of Palestine, we shall realize the 
importance of the lesson we are about to begin. 

Here the patriarchs journeyed, here the con- 
quering armies of Israel passed, and here the 
judges and kings of Israel ruled. Here the 
Savior walked, taught the doctrine of eternal 
life, and died to redeem the world. Here the 
church of God was founded, and here the blood 
of the first martyrs was spilled. 

When we know that it is more than sixty 
miles from Nazareth to Jerusalem, we under- 
stand something of what a journey between 
those two cities meant. When we know, also, 
that there lies between the two places a rough 
mountainous region, we realize still more the 
difficulties besetting the traveler who would go 
from one place to the other. Many other facts 
of geography, often overlooked, assist us much 
in obtaining a correct knowledge of Bible his- 
tory. 



Physical Palestine 



81 



NAMES 

The land wihose geography we are about to 
study has at different periods been called by 
different names. The territory described by the 
several names is not always the same. 

Canaan, the earliest name, referred only to 
the section lying between the river Jordan and 
the Mediterranean Sea. This name was derived 
from the Canaanites, the ancient inhabitants of 
the country. 

The Land of Promise, so called on account 
of its being promised to Abraham (Gen. 17: 8). 

The Land of Israel.— After the conquest by 
the Israelites under Joshua, the country for- 
merly known as Canaan, together with the table- 
lands east of the Jordan, was called Israel, 
though later in Old Testament history this name 
referred to the northern portion only, the south- 
ern part being called Judah. 

Judea.— This name originally applied to the 
southern part of the country only, but in the 
time of Christ included the whole country and 
even some land beyond the Jordan (Matt. 19:1; 
Mark 10:1). 

Palestine.— This name was derived from Phil- 
istia, or the country of the Philistines, the coun- 
try which comprised the southern part of the 



82 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



seacoast plain along the Mediterranean Sea. 
This name occurs only once in the Bible (Joel 
3:4). 

Land of Jehovah, so called on account of its 
being in a peculiar sense the property of Je- 
hovah, who as sovereign proprietor of the land 
gave it to the Hebrews (Lev. 25 : 23 ; Psa. 85 : 1) . 

The Holy Land, a name frequently applied to 
this land. It is sacred alike to Jew, Moham- 
medan, and Christian. 

BOUNDARIES 

It is not possible to give an exact boundary of 
the land of Palestine that will apply to it in each 
period of its history, for at different times its 
boundary has greatly varied. 

Canaan refers to the country lying between 
the Jordan and the Mediterranean, bounded on 
the north by Mt. Lebanon and on the south by 
the desert. Palestine sometimes refers to this 
section only. 

Palestine as Divided among the Twelve Tribes 
embraces both Canaan and the region east of the 
Jordan loosely called Gilead, though that name 
refers to but one section of the eastern table- 
lands. 

Palestine proper is bounded on the north by 
the river Leontes, Mt. Lebanon, and Mt. Her- 



Physical Palestine 



83 



mon ; on the east by the Syrian Desert ; on the 
south by the Arabian Desert and the peninsula 
of Sinai ; and on the west by the Mediterranean. 

The Land of Promise had a much larger mean- 
ing and extended from the "Entrance of Ha- 
math" on the north to Mt. Hor, Kadesh-Barnea, 
and the "river of Egypt' 9 on the south; and 
from the Euphrates on the east to the Mediter- 
ranean on the west. 

66 From Ban to Beersheba" was sometimes 
used to describe the extent of the land. Dan was 
the most northern inland towm and Beersheba 
the most southern, hence the expression. This, 
however, was only a popular way of expressing 
the extent of the land and should not be con- 
strued to mean that no country beyond these two 
places belonged to Palestine. 

AREA AND DISTANCES 

Area of Palestine.— Palestine proper, extend- 
ing from Mt. Lebanon and Mt. Hermon and the 
river Leontes on the north to the Arabian Des- 
ert on the south, and from the Syrian Desert on 
the east to the shore of the Mediterranean on the 
west, embraces an area of about 12,000 square 
miles. This area is about equal to that of the 
States of Massachusetts and Connecticut com- 
bined. 



84 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



The Coast Line from Zidon, the northernmost 
town, to Gaza on the south is about 180 miles 
in length. 

The Jordan is about 25 miles distant from the 
coast at Zidon. 

The Dead Sea is about 60 miles due east from 
Gaza. 

The Jordan Line from Mt. Hermon to the 
southern end of the Dead Sea is 150 miles in 
length. 

From Dan, the most northern inland town of 
Palestine, to Beersheba, the most southern in- 
land town, is about 150 miles. 

NATURAL DIVISIONS 

Palestine has four natural divisions, lying 
nearly parallel: the eastern table-land, the Jor- 
dan Valley, the mountain region, and the sea- 
coast plain. 

The Table-land East of the Jordan.— The 
broad eastern plateau beyond Jordan may be 
described as having a general altitude of about 
2,000 feet above the sea, though at some points it 
attains a height of 3,000 feet. The surface is 
tolerably uniform, but broken on its western 
edge by deep ravines running into the Jordan 
Valley. In this region were the ancient forests 
and rich pastures of Bashan, famous from a 
very early age and still regarded as among the 



Physical Palestine 



85 



most fertile portions of Palestine. This plateau 
upon its extreme eastern edge sinks away into 
the Arabian Desert. The eastern plateau has 
three general divisions: Bashan on the north, 
Gilead in the center, and the land of Mbab on 
the south. 

The Jordan Valley is a deep gorge between 
the eastern and western mountains, growing 
deeper toward the south. Including the Dead 
Sea, there are three lakes in the valley. Its 
length from Mt. Hermon, where it begins, to 
the lower end of the Dead Sea is about 182 
miles. Its general direction is nearly north and 
south. The springs of Hasberya, at the upper 
end of the valley, are 1,700 feet above the level 
of the Mediterranean, while at the upper end 
of the Dead Sea the valley is more than 1,300 
feet below the level of the Mediterranean. The 
lower portion of this great ravine, some dis- 
tance south of the Dead Sea, reaches a depth of 
2,600 feet below the ocean-level. At its southern 
end the valley is 4,300 feet lower than it is at 
its northern end. In width it varies : above Lake 
Merom it is about five miles across; between 
Lake Merom and the Sea of Galilee it contracts 
and becomes just a ravine or glen; below the 
Sea of Galilee, to a short distance north of 
Jericho, the valley is about seven miles wide, 
though, of course, there is considerable irregu- 



86 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



larity on account of the variation of the moun- 
tains. The eastern edge of the valley is com- 
paratively straight, while the western side is 
irregular. North of Jericho the mountains re- 
cede, forming a kind of wide amphitheater, and 
the valley becomes about twelve miles broad. 
This breadth, with but little variation, is re- 
tained till the southern end of the Dead Sea has 
been reached. 

The Mountain Region, lying west of the Jor- 
dan and running nearly north and south, forms 
the backbone and watershed of the land. These 
mountains range from 2,500 to 4,000 feet in 
height. "Through the center of the hill coun- 
try runs the main road from Jerusalem through 
Samaria to Galilee, following nearly the line of 
the watershed, and passing close to many of the 
chief cities of Judah and Israel. It is the route 
now usually followed by travelers and was prob- 
ably always one of the most important thorough- 
fares in the country. East of this road the hills 
descend abruptly to the Jordan Valley; west of 
it they fall more gradually to the coast plain. 
The wonderful ramifications of the valley which 
cut up the hill country on either side of the 
watershed form one of the peculiar features of 
Palestine topography ; rising frequently in small 
upland plains of great richness, the valley at 
first falls very rapidly, and then, after a tor- 



Physical Palestine 



87 



tuous course, reaches the plain on the one side 
and the Jordan Vlalley on the other. The effect 
of this is to split up the country into a series 
of knife-like ridges, generally preserving an 
east-and-west direction, and effectually prevent- 
ing any movement over the country from south 
to north, except along the central highway."—- 
Smith. 

The Maritime, or Seacoast, Plain is a sandy 
flat from eight to twenty miles wide extending 
along the Mediterranean Sea. It is narrow at 
the northern end, but broadens toward the south. 
These lowlands interposing between the moun- 
tains and the sea are the plains of Philistia, 
Sharon, and Phoenicia. About half way up the 
coast the plain is interrupted and broken by a 
long ridge extending from the mountains to the 
sea. This ridge is Mt. Carmel. North of the 
ridge the plain continues until it is finally ended 
by the White Mountains in the north, which push 
their way out to the sea. Still north of these 
mountains is ancient Phoenicia. This district is 
supposed to have been formed by the denuda- 
tion of the mountains, the sand dunes along the 
shores, and partly by the deposit of the Nile 
mud, which has been noticed as far north as 
Gaza. 



88 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



CHAPTER Vin 
PHYSICAL PALESTINE — Continued 



MOUNTAINS 

Many of the events of the Bible are insep- 
arably associated with mountains. This could 
hardly be otherwise, since Palestine— the land 
of the Bible— is such a mountainous country. 

There are two grand divisions of the moun- 
tains of Palestine: those east of Jordan and 
those west. Those on the west are a continua- 
tion of the Lebanon Range, and those on the 
east are a continuation of the Anti-Lebanon 
Range. Those west are not so high as those 
east. 

The mountain region west of the Jordan is 
divided into two sections by the low plain of 
Esdraelon, which extends from the seacoast 
plain to the Jordan Valley. The whole region 
is divided into five minor sections as follows: 
first, upper Galilee, where the mountains aver- 
age a height of about 2,800 feet; second, lower 
Galilee, where the hills are about 1,800 feet high ; 
third, the hill country of Samaria and Judea, 
whose mountains are from 2,000 to 3,000 feet 
in height ; fourth, the low foot-hills, or Shefelas, 



Physical Palestine 



91 



from 300 to 500 feet high, lying between the 
mountains and the seacoast plain; fifth, the 
Negeb, or ' ' south country, ' ' beginning just south 
of Hebron and sloping away southward to the 
desert. 

Two of these minor sections— upper and lower 
Galilee— are above, and three are below, the 
Plain of Esdraelon. The only mountain of im- 
portance along the coast is the promontory and 
ridge of Carmel, extending northwest and south- 
east, and being about twelve to eighteen miles 
in length. Its highest point is an elevation of 
about 1,750 feet above the Mediterranean. 
Where it breaks off into the sea it is about 
600 feet high. 

Beginning now in the north, we will go south- 
ward along the Lebanon Eange, mentioning the 
most important elevations and stating some im- 
portant event in the Bible connected with each 
mountain. 

The Lebanon Mountains, or the White Moun- 
tains, are so called, as some suppose, from the 
white limestone of which they are largely com- 
posed; or, as others suppose, from the snow 
which perpetually crowns their highest peaks. 
The average height of the Lebanon Mountains 
is from 6,000 to 8,000 feet, but some peaks rise 
considerably higher. The Lebanon Range is 



92 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



noted most for its famous cedars, so often men- 
tioned in the Old Testament. 

ML C arm el (fruitful) .—From its being fruit- 
ful or covered with vegetation we have the ex- 
pression, ' ' The excellency of Carmel. ' ' Here on 
Mt. Carmel Elijah called down fire from heaven 
upon the altar and condemned the priests of 
Baal ; here also he prayed seven times for God 
to send rain, and the cloudless heavens soon 
gathered blackness and poured down an abun- 
dance of rain. It is a sacred mountain alike to 
Jews, Christians, and Moslems, and formerly 
swarmed with monks and hermits. One tract, 
known as the Monk's Cavern, has hundreds of 
caves, and a little below is the traditional cave 
of Elijah. Carmel is 1,750 feet above sea-level. 

Mt. Gilboa has nearly the same altitude as 
Carmel, being 1,715 feet above sea-level. It 
lies east of the plain of Jezreel, and is about 
ten miles long, east-southeast and west-north- 
west. The northern slope is steep. The south- 
ern portion was probably once covered with for- 
ests, but it is now inhabited and cultivated. Gil- 
boa was the place from which Saul went to con- 
sult the witch of Endor and near where Saul 
and Jonathan were slain in battle. 

Mt. Ebal and Mt. Gerittim— the mount of 
cursing and the mount of blessing. Ebal and 
Gerizim are opposite each other, nearly meeting 



Physical Palestine 



93 



at their base, but are a mile and a half apart at 
their summits. Mt. Ebal, the northern peak, is 
rocky and bare. It rises 3,076 feet above the 
sea and 1,200 feet above the level of the valley, 
forming a natural amphitheater. From repeated 
experiments it has been found that the voice 
can be heard distinctly from the top of one 
mountain to the other and in the valley between. 

Mt. Olivet, or the Mount of Olives, is about 
3,000 feet in height. It derived its name, as 
might naturally be supposed, from the olive- 
trees which formerly abounded on its sides and 
which are still found thereon. There are sev- 
eral interesting events in the Old Testament as- 
sociated with the Mount of Olives. The events 
of greatest interest, however, are in connection 
with the closing scenes of our Savior's ministry. 
It was at Bethany, on the eastern slope of the 
mountain, the home of Mary, Martha, and Laz- 
arus, that he performed his last and greatest 
miracle ; from Olivet he made his triumphal en- 
try into Jerusalem ; upon it he spent the nights 
during the week of his passion; from its slopes 
he looked down upon Jerusalem and wept over 
the ungrateful city as he foretold its fearful 
doom; on the night of his betrayal he retired 
to a garden at its foot and there spent those 
hours of prayer and agony ; and after his resur- 
rection, in the presence of his disciples, he as- 



94 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



cended from Olivet to heaven to sit on the right 
hand of the Father in glory. 

Mount Zion (sunny mount).— The name of 
this mountain is sometimes used to denote the 
whole of Jerusalem, but in its restricted sense 
Zion refers only to the southwestern hill of 
Jerusalem. The hill is first mentioned as a 
stronghold of the Jebusites (Josh. 15:63). It 
remained in their possession until taken by 
David, who made it the "city of David," the 
capital of his kingdom. He built there a cit- 
adel, his own palace, houses for the people, and 
a place for the ark of God. The name ' ' Zion ' ' 
or "Sion" occurs in the Bible 161 times, and, 
as a matter of fact, all the events connected 
therewith could not be mentioned here. 

Mount Hebron is 3,030 feet high. South of 
Hebron the land slopes to the level of the 
desert. 

Coming now to the Anti-Lebanon Range east 
of the Jordan and beginning again in the north, 
we have these mountains: 

Mount Hermon, 9,000 feet above the sea, is the 
highest mountain in Palestine. Here our Savior 
was transfigured. 

Mount Gilead ranges from 2,000 to 3,000 feet 
in height. Here Laban overtook Jacob when 
the latter was fleeing from Padan-Aram to 
Canaan. 



Physical Palestine 



95 



Mount Nebo, which is 2,670 feet high, is near 
the northern end of the Dead Sea. Here Moses 
viewed the land of Canaan and died. 

VALLEYS 

The Jordan Valley has been described some- 
what at length in a previous chapter, so we shall 
not notice it here. 

The Valley of Ajalon, northwest of Jerusalem, 
was the scene of the great battle in which Joshua 
commanded the sun and the moon to stand still. 
t ' Then spake Joshua to the Lord in the day when 
the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the 
children of Israel, and he said in the sight of 
Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and 
thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon" (Josh. 
10:12). 

The Valley of Sorek is probably what is now 
known as Wady-es-Surar. It is about thirteen 
miles northwest of Jerusalem. "Sorek" means 
a red vine, and this valley was probably so 
named from its vineyards. Samson, the hero 
and giant of the tribe of Dan, was born in Zorah, 
and in this valley he began his wonderful ex- 
ploits. In the neighborhood of this valley was 
Tamnath, home of the Philistine maiden who 
first won the heart of Samson. Not far distant 
were the fields of standing corn in]to which 
Samson let loose his three hundred foxes with 



96 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



firebrands tied to their tails (Judg. 15:4, 5). 
On the south of Sorek was Beth-shemesh, to 
which the ark was brought from Ekron. 

The Valley of Elah.—Tiie location of this val- 
ley is somewhat uncertain, but good authorities 
fix it about eleven miles southwest of Jerusalem 
on the road to Gaza. This valley was the scene 
of the battle between the Philistines and the 
Israelites when Goliath defied the armies of the 
Israelites. Here David the shepherd boy tri- 
umphed over the Philistine giant and slew him 
in the name of the Lord. 

The Valley of Jezreel leads from the plain of 
Esdraelon to the valley of the Jordan. In this 
valley Gideon triumphed over the armies of the 
Midianites, and Saul and Jonathan were over- 
thrown. 

Valley of Hinnom, sometimes called the valley 
of the son of Hinnom, is a deep and narrow ra- 
vine with steep, rocky sides, and is southwest 
of Jerusalem. This valley separates Mt. Zion 
on the north from the "hill of evil counsel" on 
the south. Along this valley lay the boundary 
line between the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. 
Overlooking this valley Solomon erected high 
places for the worship of Molech, the fire god, 
whose horrid rites were revived from time to 
time in the same vicinity by later idolatrous 
kings. Here Ahaz and Manasseh made their 



Physical Palestine 



97 



children pass through the fire (2 Chron. 28:3; 
33: 6). In order to put an end to these abom- 
inations, Josiah polluted the place by spreading 
over it human bones and other corruption, there- 
by rendering it ceremonially unclean (2 Kings 
23:10-14; 2 Chron. 34:4, 5). From this time 
it seems to have become the common cesspool of 
Jerusalem into which its sewage was conducted. 
On account of ceremonial defilements, the de- 
tested fire of Molech, and probably, the supposed 
ever-burning funeral piles, the later Jews used 
the name of this valley to denote the place of 
eternal torment. The Greek form "Gehenna," 
the name of this valley, was used by our Lord 
in referring to the eternal torment of the wicked 
(Matt. 5:29; 10:28; 23:15). 

The Arabah lies below the Dead Sea and is a 
continuation of the Jordan Vklley, though the 
theory that the river Jordan once ran through 
this valley into the Red Sea is now held to be 
incorrect. It stretches from the chalk cliffs be- 
low the Dead Sea southward to the Gulf of 
Akabah. It is about one hundred miles long and 
from four to sixteen miles wide. Its limestone 
walls in the west are from 1,050 to 1,800 feet in 
height, and the mountain wall on the east side 
of the valley rises from 2,000 to 2,300 feet in 
height. 



98 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



PLAINS 

The Plain of Esdraelon, as before mentioned, 
interrupts the Lebanon chain of mountains, sep- 
arating the mountain ranges of Carmel and Sa- 
maria from those of Galilee, and connecting the 
maritime plain with the valley of the Jordan. 
This plain is 250 feet above sea-level and is sit- 
uated between Mounts Carmel, Tabor, and Gil- 
boa. The plain lies in a triangle. Its base in 
the east is about fifteen miles long. The north 
side is formed by the hills of Galilee and is about 
twelve miles in length. The south side, formed 
by the Samaria E-ange, is about eighteen miles. 
The apex, or gateway on the west, is formed 
where the river Keshon passes through the plain 
of Acre to the sea. At one place this is but a 
narrow pass one hundred yards wide between 
the hills of Galilee and Mjt. Carmel. From the 
base of the triangular plain three branches, di- 
vided by two bleak ridges, stretch out to the 
eastward like fingers from a hand. These two 
ridges are Mt. Gilboa and Little Hermon. "Two 
things," says Dr. Smith, "are worthy of special 
notice in the plain of Esdraelon. First, its won- 
derful richness. Second, its desolation. If we 
except the eastern branch, there is no inhabited 
village in its whole surface and not more than 
one-sixth of its soil is cultivated. It is the home 
of the wild, wandering Bedouin." 



Physical Palestine 



99 



In the Old Testament this plain is sometimes 
called the valley of Megiddo, after the city of 
Megiddo, which stood on its southern border. 
Here Barak triumphed over Sisera and the 
armies of the Canaanites, and Deborah sang her 
triumphant war-song recorded in the fifth chap- 
ter of Judges. Here also King Josiah was de- 
feated and received his death wound (2 Chron- 
icles 35). Near this plain King Saul met his 
defeat and death. It is the great battle-field of 
the Old Testament. In the sixteenth chapter of 
Kevelation the apostle John, referring to the 
final and mighty conflict between the hosts of 
good and evil, says, " And he gathered them to- 
gether into a place called in the Hebrew tongue 
Armageddon, 9 9 or city of Megiddo. The Apos- 
tle, remembering the valley of Megiddo as the 
great battle-field of his nation, uses this strong 
and forceful figure in referring to the time when 
the three unclean spirits of devils shall go forth 
unto the kings of the earth and of the whole 
world to gather them together to the battle of 
that great day of Grod Almighty. 

Plain of Phoenicia.— This plain is a very nar- 
row strip along the shore of the Mediterranean 
north of Carmel. Its two principal cities, Tyre 
and Sidon, are mentioned in the Scriptures. It 
is divided by headlands into the plain of Tyre 
in the north and the plain of Acre in the south. 



100 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



In the distribution of the territory among the 
twelve tribes of Israel the northern part of this 
plain was allotted to Asher and the southern 
part to Zebulun. This country, however, was 
never possessed by the Israelites. 

The Plain of Sharon lies directly south of Mt. 
Carmel. The plain is about forty-four miles in 
length and has a width of eight miles at the 
northern end and about twelve miles at the south- 
ern end. It is an undulating country with a line 
of low, rocky hills along the coast. In the north 
there are marshes and miry bogs. Here and 
there are scattered small groups of oaks, re- 
mains of an extensive forest. This district is 
mostly inhabited by lawless Arabian shepherds. 
The southern portion of Sharon is very fruitful 
and has long been celebrated for its rich fields 
and pastures. It is called Saron in Acts 9 : 35. 
The flocks of David were herded in its rich pas- 
tures. The Hebrew writers praised its excellency 
both in prose and in poetry. The "rose of 
Sharon" is a poetical expression well known 
to all. 

The Plain of Philistia, the land of the Israel- 
ites' ancient enemies, the Philistines, lies just 
south of Sharon. This plain extends about forty 
miles north and south, and varies in width from 
twelve to twenty-five miles. Its elevation is from 
one hundred to two hundred feet above sea- 



Physical Palestine 



101 



level. It is for the most part a fertile plain with- 
out trees. Along the coast is a fringe of sand- 
hills. It is bounded on the east by the Shefelah, 
or foot-hills. Its position and physical features 
have made it the scene of many bloody battles. 
It must have been at all times a great thor- 
oughfare between Phoenicia and Syria on the 
north and Egypt and Arabia on the south. 

The Plain of Jordan is sometimes called the 
plain of Jericho, and is the supposed site of the 
destroyed cities of the plain in the Jordan Val- 
ley just north of the Dead Sea. 

The Hauran is a vast highland anciently called 
Bashan, lying in the northern section of the 
eastern table-land. 

DESERTS 

The desert lands lying south and east of Pales- 
tine belong to this chapter and to the geography 
of Palestine only as boundaries or adjacent 
lands. The Wilderness of Judea is the only 
desert land mentioned in the Bible that comes 
within the boundaries of Palestine proper. 

The desert lands of the Sinaitic Peninsula 
have been described in a former chapter. 

The great desert land bounded on the north- 
east by the river Ejuphrates, on the northwest 
by Syria, and on the west by Palestine and 
Arabia Petraea, is divided mainly into two great 



102 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



deserts: the Syrian and the Arabian. The lat- 
ter lies to the southward. The Syrian Desert 
takes its name from Syria, its western boundary. 

The Wilderness of Judea (Matt. 3:1) is the 
desert valley of the Jordan, thin in pasture and 
sparsely populated, lying a little north of Jeru- 
salem. 



Physical Palestine 



105 



CHAPTER IX 
PHYSICAL PALESTINE — Concluded 



ITS WATERS 

We will classify the waters of Palestine under 
three heads: first, seas and lakes; second, riv- 
ers ; third, brooks. 

SEAS AND LAKES 

The Mediterranean Sea is the largest body of 
water touching the land of Palestine. Beyond 
it the ancients knew of no lands or country. Its 
shores mark the western boundary of the land 
of Palestine, and in this way only is it included 
in this chapter. Joppa, now Jaffa, thirty-five 
miles northwest of Jerusalem, upon a promon- 
tory one hundred and sixteen feet in height jut- 
ting out into the Mediterranean, was and is still 
the principal seaport of Palestine. Tyre, Accho 
(or Acre), Askelon, and Gaza were all seaports, 
and they will be mentioned more particularly in 
another chapter. 

In the Bible the Mediterranean Sea is called 
by several names, such as the hinder sea, the 
western sea, the uttermost sea (Deut. 11:24; 
34: 2; Joel 2: 20), the great sea toward the go- 



106 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



ing down of the sun, sea of the Philistines (Exod. 
23: 31), the great sea (Num. 34: 6, 7; Josh 15: 
47), the sea (Gen. 49: 13; Psa, 80: 11). 

The principal bay on the borders of Palestine 
is the Bay of Acre, just north of Carmel. 

The Dead Sea lies in the great valley between 
the Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon Mountain 
Ranges and receives the waters of the Jordan. 
It is 1,300 feet below the level of the Mediter- 
ranean. 

Various names applied to the Dead Sea are 
the salt sea (Gen. 14:3), the sea of the plain 
(Deut, 4: 49), the east sea (Joel 2: 20), the sea 
(Ezek. 47: 8). In one of the Apocryphal books 
of the Old Testament it is called the Sodomitish 
Sea ; in the Talmud it is called the sea of Sodom 
and the sea of salt. Josephus called it the as- 
phaltic sea. The term 6 ' Dead Sea" appears to 
have been first used by the Greeks. The Arabic 
name is Bahr Lut, or the Lake of Lot. 

The Dead Sea is of oblong shape. Its length 
from north to south is about forty-six miles and 
its greatest width is about ten and one-half 
miles. The depression of its surface, the depth 
below its surface, and the total absence of any 
outlet make it one of the most wonderful spots 
on the globe. Its depth is about equal to its 
depression below the Mediterranean, or 1,300 



Physical Palestine 



107 



feet. Thus, the bottom of the Dead Sea is 2,600 
feet below the level of the Mediterranean. 

The peculiarity of its water is no less won- 
derful than its other features. Probably the 
most remarkable feature of its water is its great 
weight. One gallon of water from the Dead Sea 
weighs more than twelve pounds, two pounds 
more than a gallon of distilled water. This 
remarkable wleight is due to the very large quan- 
tity of mineral salts which it holds in solution. 
Some idea of the saltness of the Dead Sea can 
be formed, especially by those who are familiar 
with ordinary sea- water, when we remember that 
sea-water weighs only ten and one-half pounds a 
gallon and contains less than one-half pound of 
mineral matter in solution. The water of the 
Dead Sea has about three and one-half pounds 
of matter in solution, of which one pound is 
chloride of sodium (common salt). It is said 
that on account of the density of the water it 
is very easy for one to swim in it. It has long 
been supposed that no life whatever could exist 
in the Dead Sea, but recent investigations have 
shown that some inferior organizations do live 
there. Ancient travelers and geographers be- 
lieved that no living creature could exist on the 
shores of the Dead Sea and that no bird could 
fly across its surface, but this is amply dis- 
proved by later travelers. No doubt this idea 
has been formed from its common name. Dead 



108 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



Sea. It is said of Dr. Robinson that he could 
never swim in fresh water ; yet there he could 
sit, lie, or swim without difficulty. From such 
statements some have inferred that the Dead 
Sea was almost as solid as a mass of dry salt, 
and that one could walk on it without difficulty. 
This, however, is an extreme conclusion. 

In the Old Testament the Dead Sea serves as 
a most valuable landmark, but in the New Testa- 
ment there is no allusion to it. 

The Sea of Galilee is of special interest to the 
Bible reader as the scene of some of the most 
remarkable works of Jesus. On its shores are 
several of the towns visited by Christ and his 
apostles. It is connected with the early lives 
of some of the apostles who were fishermen. 

The name, Sea of Galilee, was given it from 
the province of Galilee, in which it is situated. 
It was known by several other names, such as the 
sea of Chinnereth (Xum. 3-A : 11 ; Deut. 3 : 17), or 
Chinneroth (Josh. 11:2; 12:3). or Cinneroth 
(1 Kings 15 : 20), probably from the town by the 
same name which stood on its shores (Josh. 
19:35); the lake of Gennesaret (Luke 5:1), 
from the plain or land of that name of its 
northeastern side (Mark 6: 53) ; the sea of Ti- 
berias, from the city of the same name (John 
6:1). In Matt. 4 : 15 it is called the sea. In the 
Apocryphal Maccabees it is called Gennesar. All 



Physical Palestine 



109 



the towns whose names are applied to it are 
situated upon its northern and western sides. 

The Sea of Galilee is situated 70 miles north- 
east of Jerusalem and 25 miles east of the Med- 
iterranean Sea. Its form is an irregular oval, or 
pear shape, the flat, broad end of which is to- 
ward the north. Its length is from 12 to 16 
miles ; its breadth, from 4 to 7 miles. Its level 
varies at different seasons of the year from 600 
to 700 feet below the Mediterranean. Its main 
depth is about 160 feet. It is surrounded by 
an almost continuous w&ll of mountains. Unlike 
the Dead Sea, the nature of its water is such 
that it swarms with fish. Violent storms are 
still common on this sea. 

The Sea of Galilee is seldom mentioned in the 
Old Testament and then only in an incidental 
way (see Num. 34 : 11 ; Dent. 3 : 17 ; Josh. 11 : 2) , 
but throughout the Gospels it is mentioned fre- 
quently. 

Lake Merom, also called Lake Hulah, is 
formed by the waters of the Jordan. It is about 
ten miles north of the Sea of Galilee. In form 
the lake is somewhat like a triangle, the base be- 
ing at the north and the apex at the south. It 
was the scene of the decisive battle in which 
Joshua completely overthrew the confederacy of 
the northern chiefs under Jabin (Josh, 11:1). 
The lake measures about three miles on each 



110 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



side and is about eleven feet deep. Its altitude 
is seven feet above the Mediterranean. 

EIVERS 

Of the rivers of Palestine, the Jordan is the 
only one of great importance. With the excep- 
tion of the Jordan and the Leontes, the streams 
of the Holy Land are entirely dried up in the 
summer months or else reduced to very small 
streamlets. In the rainy season, however, they 
become gushing torrents that carry away the 
surface waters from the mountainsides. 

Jordan.— The river Jordan is the greatest 
river of Palestine and the only one of much im- 
portance. 

Jordan signifies the descender, probably the 
river is so called on account of its rapid falls. 
As has been mentioned under the Jordan Val- 
ley, its head is 1,700 feet above the Mediter- 
ranean, and at the Dead Sea, into which it 
empties, it is 1,300 feet below the Mediterranean. 
It has a length of about 200 miles, or 136 miles 
in a straight line. 

The Jordan rises in the Anti-Lebanon moun- 
tains. It is fed by a number of springs and 
fountains. The only tributaries to the Jordan 
below the Sea of Galilee are the Hieromax and 
the Jabbok. 



Physical Palestine 111 

There seems to be at least two places where 
the Jordan is fordable. The ford near Jericho 
is the point to which the men of Jericho pur- 
sued the spies (Josh. 2 : 7 ; 4 : 12, 13 ; Judg. 3 :28) . 
Further up is the ford where Gideon slew the 
armies of the Ephraimites (Judg. 12: 6). It is 
probable that these fords could not be used 
at certain seasons of the year, for we read that 
the Jordan overflowed all its banks at the time 
of harvest (Josh. 3 : 15). The Jordan was over- 
flowing its banks at the time when the Israelites 
crossed the Jordan on their way from Egypt to 
Canaan, and the waters miraculously opened to 
allow their passage. 

The two principal features of the Jordan are 
its descent, already mentioned, and its winding. 
Its rapid descent from its fountainhead to the 
Dead Sea is broken only by a series of rapids or 
precipitous falls. Between the Sea of Galilee 
and the Dead Sea there are twenty-seven rapids. 

Leontes, the river which marked the northern 
boundary of Palestine, lies in the mountain val- 
ley between the Lebanon and the Anti-Lebanon 
Eanges. It flows southward through the valley 
until within about twienty miles of the moun- 
tains, where it turns almost at right angles and 
runs in a westerly direction to where it empties 
into the sea, a little north of Tyre. Its entire 
length is nearly equal to that of the Jordan 



112 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



River. The Leontes is not mentioned in the 
Bible. 

The Kishon, called also ancient river (Judg. 
5:21), is a winter stream of central Palestine 
which drains the plain of Esdraelon. It passes 
through the plain of Acre and empties into the 
Bay of Acre just north of Mt. Carmel. It is the 
scene of two grand achievements of Israelitish 
history: The defeat of Sisera (Judg. 4:2) and 
the destruction of the prophets of Baal by 
Elijah (1 Kings 18:40). The place in the 
Kishon where the prophets of Baal were slaugh- 
tered by Elijah was doubtless adjacent to a 
spot on Mt. Carmel where the sacrifices had been 
offered. 

The Hieromax, also called the Jarmuk, flows 
from the eastern table-lands and empties into 
the Jordan below the Sea of Galilee. 

The Jabbok rises about twenty-five miles east 
of the northern end of the Dead Sea. It empties 
into the Jordan about midway between the Sea 
of Galilee and the Dead Sea. It is now called 
the Zerka, or 6 i blue" river. Across this stream 
Jacob sent his family, and on one of its banks 
he wrestled for a blessing (Gen. 32: 22-24). It 
w<as on the south bank of this brook that the 
interview between Jacob and Esau took place 
(Gen. 33:3, 4). 

The Arnon is the river that formed the 



Physical Palestine 



113 



boundary between Moab and the Amorites (see 
Num. 21 : 13, 14, 24, 26 ; Judg. 11 : 22), and after- 
ward between Moab and Israel (Deut. 2: 24, 36; 
3 : 8, 12, 16 ; 4 : 48 ; Josh. 12 : 1, 2 ; 13 : 9, 16 ; Judg. 
11 : 13, 26) . The Arnon is about fifty miles long, 
and at its mouth is ninety feet wide and from 
four to ten feet deep. It is full in the winter, 
but nearly dry in summer. It had several fords. 
It is referred to about twenty-four times in the 
Bible. 

BEOOKS 

Of brooks there are many in Palestine, but 
we shall mention only the most important ones 
and those referred to in the Bible. 

The Brook Tiered separates the land of Moab 
from the land of Edom (Deut. 2: 13, 14; Num. 
21:12). It empties into the southeastern cor- 
ner of the Dead Sea. 

The Brook Cherith.— The location of this brook 
is much disputed. Some suppose it to be on the 
east of the Jordan ; some think it is on the west. 
Along this brook Elijah hid himself during the 
first part of the three years' drought (1 Kings 
17:5). 

The Brook Besor was in the south of Judah. 
At this brook David left the men that were too 
faint to go further with him in his pursuit of 
the Elamites (1 Sam. 30: 9, 10, 21). 

Aenon, a place near Salim where John the 



114 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



Baptist baptized (John 3:23). Its exact loca- 
tion is not known, but it was evidently west of 
the Jordan. (Compare John 3 : 22 with the 26th 
verse of the same chapter.) 

The Brook Kedron is a winter torrent close 
to Jerusalem, between the city and the Mount 
of Olives. It was crossed by David in his flight 
from Jerusalem (2 Sam. 15: 23, 30), and by our 
Lord on his way to Gethsemane (John 18:1; 
Mark 14:26; Luke 22:39). The peculiar fea- 
ture of the brook Kedron mentioned in the Old 
Testament was its ceremonial impurity, and in 
the time of Josiah it was the common cemetery 
of the city (2 Kings 23:6; compare with Jer. 
26:23). Some one has said "that as Caesar 
crossed the Rubicon in the military conquests 
of the world, so Jesus crossed the Kedron for 
the salvation of the world. ' 9 

JERUSALEM AND ITS ENVIRONS 

Location, — The city of Jerusalem stands on a 
promontory, or rib of land, extending south- 
easterly from the main backbone and watershed 
of the mountain region west of the Jordan. It is 
separated from the highland mass, except on the 
north and west, by deep ravines. The Valley 
of Kedron, called also the Valley of Jehoshaphat, 
comes down on the east between Jerusalem and 
the Mount of Olives, and then descends south- 



Physical Palestine 



115 



easterly through the wilderness of Judah. The 
Valley of Hinnom opens on the west of the city 
and, curving around, extends along the southern 
border and joins the Kedron at Siloam near the 
southeastern corner of the city, from which place 
the two valleys continue together toward the 
Dead Sea. The promontory thus described, on 
which Jerusalem stands, is shaped much like a 
horseshoe wiith its opening turned a little west 
of north, with the Valley of Hinnom on the west 
and south and the Eedron, or Valley of Jehosh- 
aphat, on the east. A third ravine, not men- 
tioned in the Bible— the Tyropceon— cleaves the 
promontory on which Jerusalem stands, and 
runs southeasterly from its central part to the 
Pool of Siloam, where it unites with the other 
two gorges. This last valley is nearly filled up 
by the debris that has accumulated in it for 
ages. Another branch of the Tyropceon curves 
around westerly extending across the western 
side of the promontory to the Valley of Hin- 
nom, and a smaller branch takes a more north- 
erly course. 

The site of the ancient city thus described com- 
prised four hills. The southwestern portion of 
the city lies between the Tyropceon and the Val- 
ley of Hinnom, where Mt. Zion rises to a height 
of about 2,540 feet. "The City of David" and 
"Zion" were different names applied to the 



116 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



same locality. It seems probable that these 
names might have applied to Jerusalem as it 
was in the time of David. There has, however, 
been much controversy on these points. The 
northwestern part, between the two arms of the 
Tyropceon, is Acra, about 2,490 feet in height. 
In the southeast between the Tyropoeon and the 
Kedron (Valley of Jehosaphat) is Mt. Moriah, 
on the northern portion of which stood Solo- 
mon's magnificent temple. The southern por- 
tion of Moriah extending to the junction of three 
valleys in the southeastern portion of the city 
is called Ophel. On the north of Mt. Moriah is 
a section knowln as Bezetha. 

On account of the gathered rubbish and debris 
of ages, and the artificial leveling down and fill- 
ing up, the original condition of the site of Je- 
rusalem has been greatly changed. Of late years, 
however, the spade of curious archaeologists and 
explorers has unearthed miany features and land- 
marks of the ancient city. 

"The Mountains Round About Jerusalem."— 
Only on one side do the mountains approach 
near enough to the city to receive our notice. 
Across the Valley of Kedron, on the northeast, 
is the Hill of Scopus, from which Titus, the 
Roman general, looked upon the devoted capital 
of the Jews just before its final destruction. 
South of the Scopus and directly east of the city 



Physical Palestine 



117 



is the long ridge of the Mount of Olives, which 
has three principal summits. The central one 
is designated as the Mount of Ascension. Still 
farther south is the Mount of Offense, so called 
from its being the seat of Solomon's idol-wor- 
ship. Across the Vialley of Hinnom and directly 
south of Mt. Zion is the Hill of Evil Counsel, 
where, it is supposed, Judas bargained for the 
betrayal of our Lord. Upon the slope of this 
hill is Aceldama, or the field of blood, 6 purchased 
with the reward of iniquity, ' where Judas, "fall- 
ing headlong, ' ' met his end and 4 went to his own 
place. ' 

Calvary, where the crucifixion of Jesus took 
place, was not a mountain, but only a small hill 
outside of Jerusalem. 



118 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



CHAPTER X 

PALESTINE — Climate, Seasons, Principal Prod- 
ucts, Zoology, Industries 



CLIMATE 

Palestine has a greater variety of climate, 
considering its area, than any other country in 
the world. The temperature rises gradually as 
we descend from Mt. Hermon in the north, with 
its perpetual snow, to the plain of the seaboard, 
in the south, where the palm and the 
banana flourish. From the snow-crowned peaks 
of Mt. Hermon we pass successively by the 
mountains of Bashan in upper Galilee, where 
we find the oak and the pine, to the hills of Judea 
and Samaria, where the vine and the fig-tree are 
common, to the sultry shores of the Dead Sea, 
where we find tropical heat and tropical vege- 
tation. The variations of sunshine and rain, 
which with us extend throughout the year, are 
in Palestine confined chiefly to the latter part of 
autumn and the winter. During all the rest of 
the year the sky is almost uninterruptedly cloud- 
less and rain very seldom falls. 

Ram.— The autumnal rains usually commence 
in the latter part of October or the beginning of 



Palestine— Descriptive Features 



119 



November; not suddenly, but by degrees, thus 
giving opportunity to the husbandman to sow his 
wheat and barley. The rains come mostly from 
the west (Luke 12: 54) and southwest and con- 
tinue for two or three days at a time, falling 
chiefly in the night; the wind then changes to 
the north or the east, and several days of fine 
weather follow. During the months of Novem- 
ber and December the rains continue to fall 
heavily; afterward they return at longer in- 
tervals and are not so heavy, but at no period 
during the winter do they entirely cease to oc- 
cur. Rain continues to fall more or less during 
the month of March, but is very rare after that 
month. Morning mists occur as late as May, but 
rain almost never. Rain in the time of harvest 
was as incomprehensible to an ancient Jew as 
snow in summer (Pro v. 26:1; 1 Sam. 12:17; 
Amos 4:7). 

Early and Latter Rains.— The "early" and 
"latter" rains, for which the Jewish husband- 
man waited with longing (Prov. 16:15; Jas. 
5:7), seem to have been the first showers of 
autumn, which revived the parched and thirsty 
soil and prepared it for the seed, and the later 
showers of spring, which continued to refresh 
and forward the ripening crops and the vernal 
products of the fields. 

Cold.— The cold of winter is not severe, and 



120 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



the ground is seldom frozen. There is more or 
less snow. In the low-lying plains but little falls, 
and it disappears early in the day ; in the higher 
lands, as at Jerusalem, it often falls, chiefly in 
January and February, to the depth of a foot 
or more, but even there it does not lie long on the 
ground. Thunder and lightning are frequent 
in the winter. Twenty-five degrees Fahrenheit 
is given as the lowest temperature at Jerusalem. 

Heat.— The heat of summer is oppressive in 
the plains and valleys, but not in the more ele- 
vated tracts, as at Jerusalem, except when the 
south wind (sirocco) blows (Luke 12: 55). The 
highest temperature at Jerusalem is given at 
103.5 degrees Fahrenheit in the shade. In such 
high grounds the nights are cool, often with 
heavy dew. The total absence of rain in sum- 
mer soon destroys the verdure of the fields and 
gives to the general landscape, even in the high 
country, an aspect of drought and barrenness. 
No green thing remains but the foliage of scat- 
tered fruit-trees and occasional vineyards and 
fields of millet. In autumn the whole land be- 
comes dry and parched ; the cisterns are nearly 
empty; and all nature, animate and inanimate, 
looks forward with longing for the return of the 
rainy season. 

Seasons.— In the Biblical narrative, only two 
seasons of the year— summer and winter— are 



Palestine— Descriptive Features 



121 



directly mentioned. With many Oriental na- 
tions, as the Hindus and Arabians, the year has 
six seasons. The Talmud exhibits a similar ar- 
rangement, which in this case appears to have 
been founded on Gen. 8: 22: " While the earth 
remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and 
heat, and summer and winter, . . . shall not 
cease." This is the only passage of Scripture 
which can be construed to have reference to any 
such division of the seasons, and in this it is not 
very clear. But if such a distribution of the sea- 
sons ever existed, the following would seem to 
have been its arrangement: 1. Seedtime, Oc- 
tober 15 to December 15. 2. Winter, December 
15 to February 15. 3. Cold, February 15 to April 
15. 4. Harvest, April 15 to June 15. 5. Heat, 
June 15 to August 15. 6. Summer, August 15 
to October 15. 

The climate of Palestine has always been con- 
sidered healthful, and the inhabitants have, gen- 
erally speaking, lived to a good old age. Jeru- 
salem in particular, from its great elevation, 
clear sky, and invigorating atmosphere, should 
be a healthful place, and so it is generally es- 
teemed; but the plague frequently appears 
among its now ill-fed and uncleanly population, 
and bilious fevers, the result of great and sud- 
den vicissitudes of temperature, are more com- 
mon than might be expected in such a situation. 



122 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



PRINCIPAL PRODUCTS 

From what has been said concerning the cli- 
mate and the seasons, it will be observed that 
Palestine is a country of strong contrasts. The 
variety of climate naturally gives rise to a wide 
range of products. We will not here enter into 
a detailed treatise or scientific classification, but 
will give in a condensed form the most common 
products. The value of a knowledge of these 
in reading the Bible will be readily perceived. 

Trees. — The most important of the trees of 
Palestine is the cedar, for which the mountains 
of Lebanon were famous (Psa. 92:12). The 
"cedars of Lebanon' 9 is a common expression 
in the Old Testament. The cypress and the pine 
were also common, and the latter is still abundant 
on the slopes of Lebanon. We mention also the 
terebinth, evergreen oak, and the comxnon oak, 
for which the Bashan was famed, and the locust- 
tree. It is interesting to know that the pods 
of the carob-tree were the husks with which the 
prodigal would fain have filled himself. Other 
trees are the walnut, the plane-tree, the tama- 
risk, the common willow*, the white or silver pop- 
lar, the maple, the juniper, the ash, the alder, 
and the hawthorn. Of fruit-trees we note the 
sycamore-fig, the olive, the quince, the mulberry, 
the almond, the banana, the pomegranate, the 
orange, the pear, and the common fig. The pear 



Palestine— Descriptive Features 



123 



does not grow in abundance, but the fig is one 
of the staple products of the country. The palm- 
tree, once abundant, is now rarely seen. The 
date-palm is occasionally found, but it does not 
bring its fruit to maturity. Vines are very com- 
mon, the grape being one of the principal prod- 
ucts of the hill country. 

Garden Vegetables.— Of the common edible 
vegetables we notice the following : melons, egg- 
plant, pumpkin, asparagus, lettuce, purslane, en- 
dive, gourds, and cucumbers. Some of the pump- 
kins grow to great size. The eggplant and cauli- 
flower are abundant, and artichokes and aspar- 
agus grow wild. Potatoes are grown at Jeru- 
salem and some other places. 

Floivers.—Qi flowering plants we mention the 
tulip, white narcissus (probably the "rose of 
Sharon"), honeysuckle, oleander, jessamine, 
iris, pink, poppy, primrose, lily, mistletoe, anem- 
one, and geranium. There is a great variety of 
rich and delicate color in the wild flowers, giv- 
ing the country in their season a beautiful ap- 
pearance. The wild flowters of Palestine are, 
indeed, among its chief natural attractions. 

Field Products.— Wheat, barley, millet, and 
spelt are the only cereals. Beans, lentiles, flax, 
fitches, cummin, and the onion family are ex- 
tensively cultivated. 

Zoology.— There is but little change in the 



124 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



wild animals of Palestine since ancient times, ex- 
cept that the lion and a species of wild ox have 
become extinct. The number of mammals is 
given at a~bout eighty, which is a very large 
number for so small a country. Among the 
mammals we shall mention the badger, bat, 
chamois, zemer, cony, various kinds of deer, fer- 
ret, fox, wild goat, hare, hedgehog or porcupine, 
hyena, jackal, chetah or leopard, wild boar, wild 
ass, mole, mouse, jerboa or jumping mouse, 
weasel, and wolf. Of domestic animals there are 
the camel, dog, cat, goat, horse, mule, ass, ox, 
sheep, and swine, the last of which is only semi- 
domesticated. 

Of insects an abundance are found on every 
hand. The' more common ones are the ant, 
honey-bee, flea, locust, wasp, hornet, spider, 
gnat, fly, beetle, and various kinds of butterflies. 

Of reptiles and creeping tilings we shall notice 
only the adder, lizard, chameleon, frog, the shrill- 
crying little gecko, the viper, and the scorpion. 
"The latter," one writer has said, "are found 
under every stone. ' 9 

Of fish the most common are the carp, perch, 
minnow, barbel, bream, sheat-fish, and the dog- 
fish, all of which are found in the Jordan and 
the Sea of Galilee. Larger fish are found in the 
Mediterranean, among which is the shark. This 
fish (translated in the King James' Version 



Palestine— Descriptive Features 125 

" whale") w;as probably the " great fish" that 
swallowed the disobedient prophet Jonah. 

The birds of Palestine are very numerous. 
Mfore than three hundred species have been 
identified. The most common are the partridge, 
quail, wild duck, stork, crane, sparrow, and 
swallow. 

Among birds of prey we mention the eagle, 
the ospray, the vulture, the kite, the lapwing or 
hoopoe, the hawk, and the majestic lammergeier. 

Eavens are still abundant, as in the days of 
Elijah. 

The most comimon singing birds are the 
thrush, the nightingale, and the cuckoo. 

Upon the lakes and along the swamps we find 
the cormorant, heron, pelican, and gull. In the 
region of Carmel, Grilead, and Bashan we find 
the jay and the wood-pecker. Over the rugged 
cliffs of the Jordan and above the marshy plains 
we find buzzards, cranes, and pelicans. In cav- 
erns and on the sides of deep ravines and lime- 
stone precipices are found an abundance of bats 
and owls. 

INDUSTRIES 

Palestine has never been the scene of great 
manufacturing activity. Stock-raising was a 
very common employment, which is evident from 
the frequent mention of flocks and herds 



126 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



throughout the Scriptures. Fruit-growing, es- 
pecially the cultivation of the vine, was a com- 
mon pursuit. This also is evident from the fre- 
quent mention of the vineyards and the wine- 
presses. In the seventeenth verse of the third 
chapter of Habakkuk we have a synopsis of the 
principal industries of the Hebrews. The verse 
reads as follows: "Although the fig-tree shall 
not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines ; 
the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields 
shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off 
from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the 
stalls." From this scripture, and from other 
passages, we learn that figs, grapes, and olives 
were the principal fruits, and barley, wheat, and 
millet the principal cereals, grown by the He- 
brews. Among the live stock were sheep, cat- 
tle, and a few swine. The pursuits of the He- 
brews are fairly represented by Cain, who was 
a ' ' tiller of the ground, ' ' and by Abel, who was 
a "keeper of sheep." 

Agriculture.— The antiquity of agriculture is 
indicated in the brief history of Cain when it 
tells us that he was a "tiller of the ground" and 
brought some of the fruits of his labor as an 
offering to God (Gen. 4:2, 3), and that part of 
the ultimate curse upon him was: ""When thou 
tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield 
unto thee her strength" (Gen. 4:12). Of the 



Palestine— Descriptive Features 



127 



actual state of agriculture before the deluge we 
know nothing. It must have been modified con- 
siderably by the conditions of soil and climate, 
which are supposed by many to have undergone 
some material alterations during the flood. 
Whatever knowledge was possessed by the old 
world was doubtless transmitted to the new by 
Noah and his sons, and that this knowledge was 
considerable is implied in the fact that Noah 
" began to be a husbandman," and planted a 
vineyard and made wine from the fruit (Gren. 
9: 20, 21). Agricultural items belonging to the 
patriarchal period are few, but they suffice to 
show that the land of Canaan was in a state of 
cultivation and that the inhabitants possessed 
what were at a later date the principal products 
of the soil in the same country. It is reasonable, 
therefore, to conclude that the modes of opera- 
tion were then similar to those which we after- 
ward find among the Jews in the same country 
and concerning which our information is more 
exact. 

In giving possession of the country already 
under cultivation to the Israelites, the Lord in- 
tended that they should keep up that cultivation. 
In doing this they doubtless adopted the prac- 
tises of agriculture they found already estab- 
lished in the country. This may have been the 
more necessary, since agriculture is a practical 



128 Historical Geography of the Bible 



art and those of the Hebrews who were ac- 
quainted with the practises of Egyptian hus- 
bandry, had died in the wilderness ; and even had 
they lived, the methods used in a hot climate and 
alluvial soil watered by river inundation, as in 
Egypt, could not have been altogether applicable 
to so different a country as Palestine. 

As parts of Palestine are hilly, and as hills 
have seldom much depth of soil, the mode of cul- 
tivating them in terraces was anciently and is 
now much employed. A series of low stone 
walls, one above another, across the face of the 
hill arrest the soil brought down by the rains 
and afford a series of levels for the operations 
of the husbandman. This mode of cultivation is 
usual in Lebanon and is not infrequent in Pales- 
tine, where the remains of terraces across the 
hills in various parts of the country attest the 
extent to which it was anciently carried. This 
terrace cultivation has necessarily increased or 
declined with the population. If the people were 
so few that the valleys afforded sufficient food 
for them, the more difficult culture of the hills 
was neglected ; but when the population was too 
large for the valleys to satisfy with bread, then 
the hills were laid under cultivation. 

In such a climate as that of Palestine water is 
the great fertilizing agent. The rains of autumn 
and winter and the dews of spring suffice for the 



Palestine— Descriptive Features 



129 



ordinary objects of agriculture; hut the ancient 
inhabitants were able in some parts to avert even 
the aridity which the summer droughts occa- 
sioned and to keep up a garden-like verdure by 
means of aqueducts communicating with brooks 
and rivers (Psa. 1:3; Prov. 21: 1; Isa. 30: 25). 
Hence, springs, fountains, and rivulets were as 
much esteemed by husbandmen as by shepherds 
(Josh. 15: 19; Judg. 1: 15). The soil was also 
cleared of stones and carefully cultivated, and 
its fertility was increased by the ashes to which 
the dry stubble and herbage was occasionally re- 
duced by being burned over the surface of the 
ground (Prov. 24 : 31 ; Isa. 7 : 23 ; 32 : 13). Ex- 
crement and, in the neighborhood of Jerusalem, 
the blood of animals were also used to enrich the 
soil (2 Kings 9 : 37 ; Isa. 25 : 10 ; Jer. 9 : 22 ; Luke 
14:34, 35). 

That the soil might not be exhausted, it was 
ordered that every seventh year should be a 
sabbath of rest to the land. There was then to 
be no sowing nor reaping, no pruning of vines 
nor of olives, no vintage nor gathering of fruits. 
Whatever grew of itself was to be left to the 
poor, the stranger, and the beasts of the field 
(Lev. 25 : 1-7 ; Deut. 15 : 1-10). But such an ob- 
servance required more faith than the Israelites 
were prepared to exercise. It was for a long 
time utterly neglected (Lev. 26: 34, 35 ; 2 Chron. 



130 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



36: 21), but after the captivity it was once more 
observed. By this remarkable institution the 
Hebrews were trained to habits of economy and 
foresight and invited to exercise a larger de- 
gree of trust in the bountiful providence of their 
Divine King. 

Fields.— Under the term " ' dag an," which we 
translate ' ' grain" and ' ' corn," the Hebrews 
comprehended almost every object of field cul- 
ture. Syria, including Palestine, was regarded 
by the ancients as one of the first countries for 
corn. "Wheat was abundant and excellent. There 
is still one bearded sort, the ear of which is three 
times as heavy and contains twice as many grains 
as our common English wheat. Barley was also 
much cultivated, not only because of its exten- 
sive use for bread, but because it was the only 
kind of corn which was given to beasts, for oats 
and rye do not grow in warm climates. Hay was 
not in use, and therefore the barley was mixed 
with chopped straw to form the food for cattle 
(Gen. 24:25, 32; Judg. 19:19). Other field 
products were millet, spelt, various species of 
beans and peas, pepperwort, cummin, cucum- 
bers, melons, flax, and perhaps cotton. Many 
other articles might be mentioned as being now 
cultivated in Palestine; but as their names do 
not occur in Scripture, it is difficult to know 
whether they were grown there in ancient times 
or not. 



Palestine— Descriptive Features 



131 



Anciently, as at the present time, the arable 
lands in Palestine and in the East were not di- 
vided into fields by hedges and fences as in this 
country. The ripening products, therefore, pre- 
sented an unbroken expanse, except when varie- 
gated in a large view by the difference of the 
products grown. The boundaries of lands were 
marked by stones, and it was deemed a heinous 
wirong, even in patriarchal times, to remove these 
landmarks (Job. 24: 2). The law pronounced a 
curse upon those who without authority re- 
moved them (Dent. 19: 14; 27: 17). The walls 
and hedges which are occasionally mentioned in 
Scripture belonged to orchards, gardens, and 
vineyards. 

Ploughing.— This has always been a light and 
superficial operation in the East. At first the 
ground was opened with pointed sticks, then a 
kind of hoe was employed, and this in many 
parts of the world is still employed as a substi- 
tute for the plough. But the plough was known 
in Egypt and Syria before the Hebrews became 
cultivators (Job. 1: 14). In the East, however, 
it has always been a light and inartificial im- 
plement. At first it was little more than a stout 
branch of a tree from which projected another 
limb shortened and pointed. The latter, being 
turned into the ground, made the furrow, while 
at the farther end of the larger branch was fas- 



132 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



tened a transverse yoke to which the oxen were 
harnessed. Later, a handle to guide the plough 
was added. Thus the plough consisted of the 
pole, the point or share, the handle, and the yoke. 
The Syrian plough is and doubtless was light 
enough for a man to carry in his hand. The 
plough was drawn by oxen. These were some- 
times urged by a scourge (Isa. 10:26; Nahum 
3:2), but often by a long staff furnished at one 
end with a flat piece of metal for clearing the 
plough and at the other with a spike for goading 
the oxen. This ox-goad might be easily used as 
a spear ( Judg. 3 : 31 ; 1 Sam. 13 : 21). Sometimes 
men followed the plough with hoes to break the 
clods (Isa. 28: 24), but in later times a kind of 
harrow was employed. It was merely a thick 
block of wood pressed down by a man sitting on 
it or by a weight. 

Sowing.— The ground, having been ploughed 
as soon as the autumnal rain had mollified the 
soil, was fit by the end of October to receive the 
seed. The sowing of wheat continued in differ- 
ent places through ISTovember and December. 
Barley was not generally sown till January and 
February. The seed seems to have been sown 
and harrowed at the same time, although some- 
times it was ploughed in by a cross furrow. 

Harvest.— The time of the wheat harvest in 
Palestine varies in different parts of the country 



Palestine— Descriptive Features 



133 



from early in May to late in June, and the barley 
harvest is about two weeks earlier than the 
wheat harvest. Among the Israelites, as with 
all other people, the harvest was a season of 
joy; and as such it is more than once alluded 
to in Scripture (Psa. 126 : 5 ; Isa. 9:3). 

Reaping.— Different modes of reaping are in- 
dicated in Scripture and illustrated by the Egyp- 
tian monuments. In the most ancient times the 
corn was plucked up by the roots, and this con- 
tinued to be the practise with particular kinds 
of grain after the sickle had been introduced. 
In Egypt at this day barley and dourra are 
pulled up by the roots. The choice between 
these methods was probably determined in Pal- 
estine by the consideration pointed out by Rus- 
sell, who states that "wheat, as well as barley in 
general, does not grow half so high as in Britain 
and is therefore, like other grain, not reaped 
with the sickle, but plucked up by the roots with 
the hand. In other parts of the country where 
the corn grows more rankly the sickle is used. ' ' 
When the sickle was used, the wheat was either 
cropped off under the ear or cut close to the 
ground. In the former case, the straw was after- 
ward plucked up for use ; in the latter, the stub- 
ble was left and burnt on the ground as a fer- 
tilizer. 

Threshing.— The ancient mode of threshing as 



134 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



described in Scripture and as figured on the 
Egyptian monuments is still followed in Pales- 
tine. Formerly, the sheaves were conveyed 
from the field to the threshing-floor in carts, but 
now they are generally borne on the backs of 
camels and asses. The threshing-floor is a level 
plot of ground of a circular shape, generally 
about fifty feet in diameter, prepared for use 
by beating down the earth till a hard floor has 
been formed (Gen. 50: 10). Sometimes several 
of these floors are contiguous. The sheaves are 
spread out upon them, and the grain is trodden 
out by oxen, cows, and young cattle arranged five 
abreast and driven in a circle, or rather in all 
directions, over the floor. This was the common 
mode in Bible times. Moses forbade that the 
oxen thus employed should be muzzled to pre- 
vent them from tasting the corn (Deut. 25:4). 
Flails, or sticks, were used in threshing only 
small quantities or for the lighter kinds of grain 
(Isa. 28 : 27). There were, however, some kinds 
of threshing-machines which are still used in 
Palestine and Egypt. One of them very much 
used in Palestine, is composed of two thick 
planks fastened together side by side and bent 
upwards in front. Sharp fragments of stone are 
fixed into holes bored in the bottom. This ma- 
chine is drawn over the corn by oxen, a man or 
boy sometimes sitting on it to increase the 



Palestine— Descriptive Features 



135 



weight. It not only separates the grain, but also 
cuts the straw and makes it fit for fodder. This 
is most probably the Charutz, or "corn-drag," 
which is mentioned in Scripture (in Isa. 28: 27 
and Amos 1:3 rendered "threshing-instru- 
ment"). It would seem to have been sometimes 
furnished with iron points instead of stones. 
The Bible also mentions a machine called a 
More g (2 Sam. 24:22; 1 Chron. 21:23), which 
is unquestionably the same as that bearing in 
Arabic the name Nor eg. This machine is not 
now often seen in Palestine, but is more used in 
some parts of Syria and is common in Egypt. 
It consists of a frame of wood in which are in- 
serted three wooden rollers armed with iron 
teeth. It bears a seat on which the driver sits 
to give the benefit of his weight. It is generally 
drawn over the corn by two oxen and it sep- 
arates the grain and breaks up the straw even 
miore effectually than the drag. In all these 
processes the corn is occasionally turned by a 
fork, and when sufficiently threshed is thrown 
up by the same fork against the wind to sepa- 
rate the grain, which is then gathered and win- 
nowed. 

Winnowing.— This was generally accom- 
plished by repeating the process of tossing up 
the grain against the wind with a fork (Jer. 
4 : 11, 13). By this process the broken straw and 



136 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



the chaff were blown away, while the grain fell 
to the ground. The grain afterward was passed 
through a sieve to free it from bits of earth and 
other foreign matter. After this it underwent a 
still further purification by being tossed up with 
wooden scoops or short-handled shovels. 

Care of the Flocks.— In the first period of 
their history the Hebrews led an unsettled pas- 
toral life such as we still find among many Ori- 
ental tribes. One great object of the Mosaical 
polity was to turn them from this condition into 
that of fixed cultivators of the soil. The care 
of flocks, however, was discouraged only as a 
condition of life unfriendly to settled habits and 
institutions, and not as a pursuit connected with 
agriculture. Hence, although in later times the 
attention of the Hebrews was given chiefly to 
agriculture, the tending of sheep and cattle was 
not at any time neglected. 

The shepherds who move about with their 
flocks from one pasture-ground to another ac- 
cording to the demands of the season, the state 
of the herbage, and the supply of water are called 
nomads, that is, not merely shepherds, but wan- 
dering shepherds. They feed their flocks on the 
commons, or the deserts and wildernesses which 
no settled or cultivated people have appropri- 
ated. According to the ideas of the East, the 
digging of a well is so meritorious an act that 
he who performs it acquires ownership to the 



Palestine— descriptive Features 



137 



waste lands round about. In the time of the 
patriarchs Palestine was but thinly peopled by 
the Canaanites and offered many such tracts of 
unappropriated grounds fit for pasturage. In 
these the patriarchs fed their flocks without es- 
tablishing any exclusive claims to the soil until 
they proceeded to dig wells. This act, being 
considered as an act of appropriation, was op- 
posed by some of the inhabitants (Gen. 21: 25, 
26). After the conquest of Canaan those Israel- 
ites who possessed large flocks and herds sent 
them out under the care of shepherds into the 
wildernesses or co-mjmons of the east and south, 
where there are rich pasturages during the moist 
seasons of the year (1 Sam. 17:28; 25 :4-15; 
1 Chron. 27 : 29-31 ; Isa. 65:10). When the shep- 
herds move from one place to another, they 
strike their tents, pack them up, and convey 
them on camels to the next station. Nearly all 
the pastoral customs were the same anciently as 
now. The sheep were constantly kept in the 
open air and guarded by hired servants and by 
the sons and daughters of the owners. EVen the 
daughters of emirs, or "chiefs," did not disdain 
to tend the sheep (Gen. 24: 17-20 ; 29: 9; Exod. 
2 : 16) . The principal shepherd was responsible 
for the sheep intrusted to his care, and if any 
Were lost, he had to make them good, except in 
certain cases (Gen. 31 : 39 ; Exod. 22 : 12). These 



138 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



shepherds were often paid by a certain propor- 
tion of the young of the flock (Gen. 30: 30). On 
the more dangerous stations towers were erected 
from which the approach of enemies might be 
discovered. These were called the towers of the 
flock (2 Chron. 26: 10; Micah 4:8). 

The flocks required watching by day and by 
night, and the shepherds were therefore exposed 
to all the changes of season. Thus Jacob de- 
scribes his service, "In the day the drought 
consumed me and the frost by night, and my 
sleep departed from mine eyes." The shep- 
herd's life was a common one from the days of 
Jacob, or even from the days of Abel, until the 
time of Christ. We read that the shepherds 
were "keeping watch over their flocks by 
night" when the angel of the Lord came to 
announce the glad tidings of the Savior's birth. 
The nomads, or wandering shepherds, are still 
common in the East. 

Care of the Vine and the Fruit-Tree.— The 
cultivation of the vine formed an important part 
of Jewish husbandry. Vineyards were generally 
planted on the sides of the hills and the moun- 
tains. Much labor was employed in preparing 
the ground. The stones were carefully gathered 
out ; the rock was often covered over with soil, 
piled up so as to make a broad platform on the 
sloping height ; the whole was surrounded with 



Palestine— Descriptive Features 



139 



a hedge or wall; the ground was carefully dug 
and set with plants of the choicest kind ; a press 
was sunk for making wine ; a tower was raised, 
in which all the tools and other articles neces- 
sary for the laborers might be kept and where 
watchmen might always stay to guard the en- 
closure from thieves and wild animals, especially 
foxes, which were very troublesome (S. of Sol. 
2: 15). These towers seem to have been some- 
times built with much elegance and fitted up at 
much expense as places of pleasure as well as 
for mere use. There the rich owner might occa- 
sionally resort with his friends to enjoy for a 
few days its agreeable retreat. God compares 
his care of the Jewish nation to the care which 
the husbandman was accustomed to bestow upon 
his vineyard (Isa. 5:1, 2; Psa. 80:9-13). Our 
Savior uses the same imagery: " There was a 
certain householder, which planted a vineyard, 
and hedged it round about and digged a wine- 
press in it, and built a tower, and let it out to 
husbandmen, and went into a far country" 
(Matt. 21: 33). The vines were pruned several 
times a year with an instrument made for the 
purpose and called the pruning-hook. 

The vintage, or season for gathering grapes, 
began early in the fall, about the middle of Sep- 
tember, and generally lasted about two months. 
It was a time of more gladness than was harvest. 
With songs and shoutings that sounded over the 



140 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



hills the laborers proceeded in their work, gather- 
ing the great clusters into baskets and bearing 
them to the wine-press. This was commonly dug 
like a vat into the ground and secured over the 
bottom and round the sides with stone-work 
plastered so as to hold the juice ; frequently it 
was hewed in a solid rock. It consisted of two 
separate vats close together; one of which was 
sunk considerably lower than the other. The 
grapes were thrown into the upper vat, where 
they were trodden by the feet of five or six men. 
As the juice was pressed out, it ran through a 
small opening in the side close to the bottom 
down into the lower vat. The treaders sang and 
shouted and jumped, and all their garments be- 
came thoroughly stained with the red blood of 
the grapes ( Jer. 25 : 30 ; 48 : 32, 33) . 

Out of the juice was made wine and vinegar. 
The new wine was commonly put into new goat- 
skin bottles with the hairy side turned inward 
(Job 32 : 19 ; Matt. 9 : 17 ) . It became better the 
longer it was kept. The dregs all settled to 
the bottom (Isa. 25:6). Besides the vinegar, 
which is usual among us and to which Solomon 
refers in one of his proverbs (Prov. 10:26), 
there was a sort of weak wine used very com- 
monly by laborers which was also called vinegar. 
Such was that vinegar which the workmen of 
Boaz used in his harvest-field (Ruth 2:14). 



Palestine— Descriptive Features 



141 



This was a common drink also among the Ro- 
man soldiers, and it seerofs to have been this 
kind of vinegar that was presented in a sponge 
to our Savior when he hung upon the cross 
(Matt. 27:48). The "vinegar mingled with 
gall," which had been offered to him before 
(Matt. 27:34) and which Mark calls "wine 
mingled with myrrh, ' ' was a preparation of wine 
mixed with this bitter substance. Such a drink 
was frequently given to criminals doomed to 
suffer death, in order to stupefy their feelings 
and so take away the sense of pain. Our Lord 
refused the cup; he would not consent in the 
deepest agony of his suffering to taste a drink 
that could bring relief only as it deranged and 
blunted the natural powers of the soul. 

Grapes were sometimes dried in the sun and 
preserved in masses or casks like figs. These 
were the clusters, or bunches, of raisins which 
Abigail presented to David on one occasion and 
Ziba on another (1 Sam. 25 : 18, 20; 2 Sam. 16: 
1). The Jews were not allowed to gather the 
fruit of the vine or of any tree until the fifth 
year after it began to bear (Lev. 19 : 23-25). 

The olive also yielded a rich reward to the 
husbandman's care. The fruit was sometimes 
beaten off the tree wjith a long stick and at other 
times shaken off. The boughs were not allowed 
to be gone over a second time ; the few olives 



142 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



that still clung to the tree were to be left for 
the poor, as were also the grapes that were 
passed over in the vintage (Dent. 24:20, 21). 
The gleaning of olives and of grapes is used to 
represent a sweeping judgment of God that 
leaves scarcely anything behind (Isa. 17: 6; 24: 
13). Olives, as well as grapes, were trodden in 
a press of a particular kind. The word "Greth- 
semane ' ' means ' 1 an oil-press. ' ' No doubt, such 
a press, and perhaps more than one, was much 
used there for making oil from the fruit that 
grew so plentifully around and upon the Mount 
of Olives. The oil was very valuable, answering 
in a great degree among the Jews the same pur- 
poses that butter does with us, and also supply- 
ing them with light in their lamps. Sometimes 
the fruit was plucked before ripe and instead of 
being cast into the press w^as only beaten and 
squeezed. The oil thus obtained was the best 
and was called beaten oil. The sacred lamp in 
the sanctuary was always fed with such (Exod. 
27:20). The best kind of oil was also mixed 
with spices and used for ointment. All the rest 
was employed in various ways— for food or for 
common lamps. To "dip the foot in oil" is an 
expression that signifies to possess a rich and 
fruitful inheritance (Deut. 33:24). Oil was 
a common emblem for gladness and for grace of 
every kind. 



Palestine— Descriptive Features 143 

Of other fruits it is not necessary to speak 
particularly, though several of them were highly 
valuable. The different kinds of fruit found in 
Palestine have already been mentioned under 
Principal Products. The Jews were very fond 
of gardens and frequently exercised a great deal 
of care to make them not only profitable but also 
beautiful and pleasant. 



144 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



CHAPTER XI 
POLITICAL CANAAN 



CANAAN BEFORE THE CONQUESTS 

The knowledge that we possess of the land 
of Canaan before the conquests is very meager; 
especially is this true with reference to the 
geography of the land. As with the mound- 
builders of America and the cave-dwellers of 
Europe, the origin of the first settlers of the land 
of Canaan is unknown. It is not exactly known 
whether the aborigines were of the Hamitic or 
the Semitic race, but it is generally believed that 
they were for the most part of Hamitic origin. 
Among the earliest inhabitants of the land the 
Bible makes mention of several tribes, the most 
of which are represented as giants. 

1. THE ABORIGINAL RACES 

The Rephaim, "lofty men," are frequently 
mentioned in the Old Testament, the word being 
translated "giants." The Eephaim inhabited 
the highlands of Bashan, and their capital was 
probably Ashteroth Earnaim. The giant Og, 
king of Bashan, conquered by the Israelites, is 
supposed to have been one of their race. It is 
probable that they had a settlement west of the 



Political Canaan 



145 



Jordan also, for a locality was long afterward 
remembered as the "Valley of the Rephaim" 
(see 2 Sam. 5:18). 

The Tiuzim, "tall ones," are generally under- 
stood to be the same people as those who in 
Deut. 2 : 20 are called Zamzummim. It appears 
from Gen. 14 : 5 that their capital and principal 
city was Ham. They probably occupied the 
table-lands east of the Jordan and south of 
Bashan and Gilead. These people, like the 
Rephaim, were giants (Deut. 2: 21). 

The Emim, "terrible ones," were also giants 
(Deut. 2 : 10, 11). These people were the ancient 
inhabitants of the land of the Moabites, which 
has been described in a previous chapter. 

The Horim, "cave-dwellers," also known as 
Horites, dwelt in Mt. Seir, south of the Dead 
Sea. They were succeeded by the Edomites, 
descendants of Esau. For their genealogy see 
Gen. 36 : 29-30 ; 1 Chron. 1 : 38-42. 

The Avim, "ruins," or "dwellers in ruins" 
(Deut. 2 : 23) . It would seem from Josh. 13 : 3, 
4 that the Avites ' territory was west of the Jor- 
dan; for their possessions are mentioned as a 
part of the "territory yet to be possessed," just 
before the division of the land among the ten 
tribes. 

The Anakim, "long-necked ones," had their 
principal home at Hebron (Josh. 14: 15), which 



146 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



was called by them Kirjath-arba. They occupied 
also another town called Kirjath-sepher, which 
signifies "book-town." From this we may in- 
fer that they had some kind of literature. The 
children of Anakim struck with terror the Israel- 
ite spies (Xumbers 13). The Anakim were 
finally subdued by the Israelites. "And Caleb 
drove thence the three sons of Anak, Sheshai, 
and Ahiman, and Talmai, the children of Anak. 
And he went up thence to the inhabitants of 
Debir: and the name of Debir before was Kir- 
jath-sepher" (Josh. 15:14, 15). 

2. THE CANAANITISH TRIBES 

The word 1 ' Canaanites ' ' is used in two senses : 
it refers to a tribe that inhabited a particular 
locality of the country ; and it sometimes refers 
to all the people that inhabited the country west 
of the Jordan. The Canaanites proper were the 
descendants of Canaan, fourth son of Ham (see 
Gen. 10: 18; 1 Chron. 1:8). By "the Canaan- 
itish tribes" in this chapter we mean all the 
tribes that inhabited the land west of the Jordan 
at the time of the Israelites' conquests. We shall 
first name the tribes west of the Jordan, begin- 
ning in the north and going southward. 

The Zidonians occupied a narrow strip along 
the Mediterranean, north of Mt Carmel and the 
Bay of Acre, between Mt. Lebanon and the Sea, 
having Tyre and Zidon as their principal cities. 



Political Canaan 



147 



The Hivites occupied a territory east of the 
Zidonians in the extreme northern part of Pales- 
tine (Josh. 11:3). In Judg. 3:3 we read of 
' i the Hivites that dwelt in mount Lebanon, from 
Mt. Baal-hermon unto the entering in of Ha- 
math." Another settlement of the Hivites was 
in the central part of Palestine, where in the time 
of David they had Shechem as their principal 
city. They afterward occupied several cities 
north of Jerusalem, some of which formed the 
"Gibeonite league' 9 and made a treaty of peace 
with the Israelites (Josh. 9: 3-15). 

The HiUites were the descendants of Heth. 
The first mention that we have of the Hittites, 
we find them in the southern part of Palestine 
with Hebron as their principal city (Genesis 23). 
It seems probable that their dominions extended 
as far south as Beersheba (Gen. 27: 46). From 
the allusion in Josh. 1 : 4 and 11 : 3 we are led to 
believe that the Hittites also occupied a territory 
in the mountain region in the northern part of 
Palestine, probably south of the Zidonians and 
Hivites and north and west of the Sea of Galilee. 

The Canaamtes Proper, called "lowlanders," 
were, as before mentioned, the descendants of 
Canaan, son of Ham. Since they were the prin- 
cipal people and the direct descendants of Ca- 
naan, from them the land took its name: the 
land of Canaan. In Num. 13 : 29 wte read, 6 ' The 



148 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of 
Jordan." Being thus in the lowlands along the 
seacoast and in the Jordan Valley, the Canaan- 
ites proper occupied the most fertile land of the 
country. The principal city on the seacoast was 
Joppa. Their cities in the Jordan Valley were 
Sodom, Gomorrah, Adamah, Zeboim, and Zoar, 
all of which, except the last, were destroyed by 
the judgments of God (Genesis 19). The terri- 
tory of the Canaanites lay almost in the shape 
of a horseshoe, with the eastern branch some- 
what the longer. Their territory extended along 
the Mediterranean from just about J oppa north- 
ward to Mt. Carmel and the Bay of Acre, south- 
ward, then southeasterly through the Plain of 
Esdraelon to the Jordan; and the eastern side 
of the horseshoe was formed by the Jordan Val- 
ley, extending to the northern end of the Dead 
Sea. 

The Perizzites, "villagers," are frequently 
mentioned in connection with the Canaanites 
(Gen. 34: 30). From their frequent mention in 
connection with the Canaanites and from the 
allusion in Josh. 17 : 15, 16, we locate them in 
the mountain region north of Jerusalem, prob- 
ably between the western arm of the territory 
of the Canaanites and the central territory of 
the Hittites. The Perizzites, with many of the 
other Canaanitish tribes, were still found in the 



Political Ccmaan 



149 



country at the time of the restoration from the 
Babylonian captivity (Ezra 9:1). 

The Jebusites occupied the mountain region 
around Jebus, afterward Jerusalem. This tribe 
Was one of the seven nations of Canaan that the 
Israelites were commanded to exterminate from 
the country (Deut. 7: 1; 20: 17). They were de- 
feated by Joshua, and their cities were burned. 
They still remained in the land and held their 
possessions; and their city, though burned by 
the Israelites, remained in possession of its own 
people as a foreign fortress in the midst of the 
land until the time of David, when it was 
finally captured and made the capital of his king- 
dom (2 Samuel 5 ). 

The Amorites, called "mountaineers," were 
the most powerful of all the nations of Canaan ; 
hence their name sometimes occurs for the Ca- 
naanites in general. Their origin is traced to 
Emori, an offspring of Canaan. Their original 
territory is supposed to have been the wilder- 
ness between Hebron and the Dead Sea. They 
are distinguished from the Canaanites by their 
having inhabited the mountain region, while the 
latter dwelt in the lowlands. At one time the 
Amorites are said to have possessed the entire 
country east of the Jordan and the Dead Sea, 
from the Arnon on the south to Mt. Hermon on 
the north, including all Gilead and Bashan. Sihon 



150 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



and Og, kings of the Amorites, it will be re- 
membered, were conquered by the Israelites in 
their final march to the promised land. 

The Philistines, "lowlanders," occupied the 
southwestern portion of the maritime plain. 
Their origin is involved in much obscurity. From 
this people we have the present name of the 
country, Palestine. Abraham found this people 
in the south country ; at that time they were not 
a powerful people (see Genesis 20). The chief, 
Abimelech, entered into a treaty of peace with 
Isaac. His reasons for pressing Isaac's depar- 
ture from Gerar are given in Gen. 26 : 12-23. In 
later years the Philistines became a very power- 
ful people and possessed the fertile plain of the 
Shef elah, lying along the coast-plain between the 
Mediterranean and the hill country of Judah and 
Dan. The Philistines were a constant menace 
and scourge to the Israelites (Josh. 13 : 3 ; Judg. 
3:3). Gaza, Ashkelon, Ekron, Gath, and Ash- 
dod were the principal cities of the Philistines. 

The Girgashites.— Little mention is made of 
this tribe, and their location is unknown. It has 
been supposed that they occupied a territory in 
the vicinity of the Sea of Galilee. 



Political Canaan 



151 



CANAAN AS DIVIDED AMONG THE 
TRIBES 

After the conquest, the land of Canaan was 
distributed by lot among the tribes. Judah, Ben- 
jamin, Simeon, and Dan occupied the south ; 
Elphraim, half of Manasseh, and Issachar, the 
middle; and Zebulun, Naphtali, and Asher, the 
north. At a later date the country was divided 
into three sections : Judea in the south, Samaria 
in the middle, and Galilee in the north. Reuben, 
Gad, and the other half of Manasseh were set- 
tled beyond the Jordan in Bashan and Gilead. 
We will now give the general location of the land 
allotted to each tribe, beginning in the south 
on the west side of the Jordan and leaving the 
territory on the east of the Jordan to the last. 

The Tribe of Simeon.— The territory occupied 
by Simeon was in the southwestern portion of 
Palestine, and included eighteen cities around 
the well of Beersheba (Josh. 19:1-9; 1 Chron. 
4:24-33). At the time when the Israelites en- 
tered the promised land Simeon was the smallest 
of the tribes, having only 22,200 able-bodied 
men (Num. 26:14). The cities of Simeon are 
enumerated in the nineteenth chapter of Joshua 
as follows: "And they had in their inheritance 
Beersheba, and Sheba, and Moladah, and Bazar- 
shual, and Balah, and Azem, and Eltolad, and 
Bethul, and Hormah, and Ziklag, and Beth-mar- 



152 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



caboth. and Hazarsusah. and Beth-lebaoth, and 
Sliaruhen ; thirteen cities and their villages : Am, 
Eemmon. and Ether, and Ashan; four cities 
and their villages : and all the villages that were 
around about these cities to Baalath-beer, Ba- 
niath of the south. This is the inheritance of the 
tribe of the children of Simeon according to their 
families* ' (Josh. 19: 2-8). 

The Tribe of Judah. — The territory assigned 
to the tribe of Judah is described in Joshua 15. 
It extended across western Palestine from the 
Dead Sea on the east to the Mediterranean on 
the west. It extended north and south from the 
Xegeb in the south to Jericho in the north. The 
average extent of this district was about fifty 
miles from east to west and about forty miles 
from north to south. Its area was about half 
that of the State of Connecticut, A portion of 
this territory was afterward cut off for Simeon, 
which then became a frontier tribe of the south 
(Josh. 19: 1-9). The cities of Judah are given 
in Josh. 15: 21-62. The towns of most note in 
the territory of Judah were Hebron, Bethlehem, 
Kirjath-jearimu Lachish, and Libnah. Thirteen 
of the cities of Judah, Benjamin, and Simeon 
were allotted to the priests (Josh. 21: 9-19). 

The Tribe of Benjamin, — The portion of Ca- 
naan allotted to Benjamin was bounded on the 
north by Ephraim. on the east by the Jordan, on 



Political Canaan 



153 



the south by Judah, and on the west by Dan. 
His territory included Jerusalem, and the other 
cities enumerated in Josh. 18 : 11-28, and was 
about twenty-five miles east and west and about 
twelve miles north and south. 

The Tribe of Dan.— The portion of Dan was 
on the seacoast. His territory was bounded on 
the north by Manasseh and Ephraim, on the east 
by Ephraim and Benjamin, on the south by 
Judah and the land of the Philistines, on the 
west by the Mediterranean. The chief city of 
the tribe of Dan was called by the tribal name, 
Dan (Judg. 20:1). It was originally called 
Laish (Judg. 18:29). 

The Tribe of Ephraim.— The territory of 
Ephraim lay in the center of Canaan. It was 
bounded on the north by Manasseh, on the east 
by Issachar, on the south by Benjamin and Dan, 
and on the west by Dan. From Josh. 16 : 1-10 
it seems that the territory of ESphraim reached 
eastward to the Jordan, For nearly four hun- 
dred years Ephraim, with Manasseh and Ben- 
jamin, exercised undisputed preeminence among 
the tribes. The principal places in the portion 
allotted to Ephraim were Shechem, Shiloh, Beth- 
horon, Timnath, and Samaria. Shiloh was the 
resting-place of the ark ; Timnath was the burial- 
place of Joshua; and Samaria in later years be- 
came the capital of the ten tribes. 



154 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



The Half Tribe of Manasseh West of the Jor- 
dan.— It will be rememebered that one-half of 
this tribe settled east of the Jordan and one-half 
on the west. AVe therefore distinguish them in 
our description by east and west. The half tribe 
of Manasseh west of the Jordan was located 
north of Ephraim and Dan, west of Issachar, 
south of Asher and Zebulun, and was bounded 
on the west by the Mediterranean Sea. This half 
tribe of Manasseh could not drive out the in- 
habitants of all the cities allotted to them. They 
occupied three mountain cities : Geba, Dothara, 
and Jarmuth. 

The Tribe of Issachar (Josh. 19 : 17-23). -To 
the tribe of Issachar wias allotted the Plain of 
Esdraelon and a considerable strip of the coun- 
try on the west of the Jordan as far south as the 
portion of Benjamin. This portion was bounded 
on the north by Xaphtali and Zebulun, on the 
east by the Jordan, on the south by Benjamin, 
and on the west by Ephraim and Manasseh and 
Zebulun. The principal cities of this tribe were 
Engannim, Shunem, Haphraim, and Beth-she- 
mesh. 

The Tribe of Asher (Josh. 19 : 24-31). -The 
tribe of Asher lay along the seacoast, and ex- 
tended from Mt. Carmel northward to Zidon. 

The Tribe of Zebulun (Josh. 19:10-16) oc- 
cupied a territory almost midway between Mt. 



Political Canaan 



155 



Carmel and the Sea of Chinnereth, afterward 
the Sea of Galilee. This territory was bounded 
on the northwest by Asher, on the northeast by 
Naphtali, on the south by Issachar and Manas- 
seh. The principal places of the tribe were 
Gath-hepher, home of the prophet Jonah ; Beth- 
lehem, which should be distinguished from the 
town of the same name in Judah ; and Shimron. 

The Tribe of Naphtali (Josh. 19:32-39) oc- 
cupied a large strip of territory west of Lake 
Merom and the Sea of Chinnereth. It is bounded 
on the west by Asher and Zebulun. The prin- 
cipal city of this tribe was Kedesh, one of the 
cities of refuge, situated northwest of Lake 
Merom. The city of Laish, or Lesherm, taken 
by the tribe of Dan and afterward called Dan, 
was really in the territory of Naphtali. 

The Tribe of Reuben (Num. 32:1-38; Josh. 
13 : 15-23). It will be remembered that the tribe 
of Reuben, of Gad, and the half tribe of Manas- 
seh settled east of the Jordan. The tribe of 
Reuben was in the south, the tribe of Gad in the 
middle, and the half tribe of Mlanasseh on the 
north. The tribe of Reuben had for its southern 
boundary the river Arnon, which separated it 
from the land of Moab. It was bounded on the 
west by the Dead Sea, on the north by the tribe 
of Gad, and on the east by the great desert. The 
principal cities of this tribe were Aroes, Ataroth, 



156 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



Medeba, Kirjathaim, Kedemoth, Dibon, Beser, 
one of the cities of refuge, and Heshbon, ancient 
capital of the Amorite king, Sihon. 

The Tribe of Gad (Num. 32: 25-33; Josh. 13: 
24-28) was bounded on the north by the tribe of 
Manasseh, on the east by the great desert, on the 
south by the tribe of Keuben, and on the west 
by the river Jordan. It extended along the river 
from the Sea of Chinnereth to the Dead Sea. In 
the mountains of Gad were the cities of Jezer; 
Ramoth-gilead, a famous fortress and often the 
scene of bloody wars ; and Penuel, the place 
where Jacob wrestled with the angel (Gen. 32: 
24-32). Jabesh-gilead, Mahanaim, and Gadara 
are cities in the valley. 

The Half Tribe of Manasseh East of the Jor- 
dan (Num. 32:29-42; Josh. 13:29-31) occupied 
the northwestern portion of the land of Pales- 
tine, generally known in the Old Testament as 
Bashan. The portion allotted to this tribe was 
larger than that allotted to any other tribe. 
Their territory extended from Mt. Hermon in 
the north to the portion of the tribe of Gad in 
the south, from the Sea of Galilee to the waters 
of the Merom, and from the river Jordan on the 
west to the great desert on the east. In the west- 
ern mountain region of the half tribe of Manas- 
seh east of the Jordan were Golara, a city of 
refuge, and Aphek, and nearly in the center of the 



Political Canaan 



157 



tribe wias Ashteroth, former capital of Og, king 
of Bashan and Edrei. Near its eastern extrem- 
ity was Keneth. 

The Tribe of Levi, being the priests, were not 
assigned a separate portion of the land, but were 
given certain cities throughout the territory of 
the other tribes. There were in all forty-eight 
Levitical cities, four for each tribe. Simeon and 
Naphtali, being on the frontier, did not have 
their full number of Levitical cities, but Judah 
had more than four. 

CITIES OF REFUGE 

(Numbers 35; Dent. 19 : 7-10; Josh. 20: 2, 7, 8.) 

Of the Levitical cities, six of them were di- 
vinely appointed as cities of refuge, or asylums, 
to which those who had been undesignedly acces- 
sory to the death of a fellow creature might flee 
for safety and protection. They were as fol- 
lows : west of the Jordan, Kadesh in Naphtali, 
Shechem in Mt. Ephraim, Hebron in Judah ; east 
of the Jordan, Golan in the half tribe of Manas- 
seh, Bamoth in the tribe of Gad, and Beser in 
the tribe of Reuben. It will be observed that the 
cities chosen were such as would be easy of 
access from all parts of the country. To any 
one of these cities a person might flee who had 
unawares or unintentionally slain some one. If 
he reached it before overtaken by the avenger of 



158 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



blood, he was safe within its shelter, provided 
he did not remove more than a thousand yards 
from its circuit nor quit the refuge till the de- 
cease of the high-priest under whom the homi- 
cide had taken place. If, however, he trans- 
gressed these provisions, the avenger might law- 
fully put him to death. The roads leading to the 
cities of refuge were to be kept in good repair. 
For the laws governing the use of the cities of 
refuge see Exod. 21:13; Xum. 35:9-34; Deut. 
19: 1-13. 

SHILOH— THE SEAT OF GOVERNMENT 

From the time when the children of Israel 
threw off the yoke of Egyptian bondage and be- 
came an independent people until the coronation 
of Saul, they had a form of government which 
has been called the Theocratic Administration; 
that is, God was their only king. He gave them 
their laws through Moses, his chosen servant. 
He accepted them in accordance with his law 
through the offering of the priests, and he spoke 
to them through the prophets. At this time, 
however, the prophetic order had not been fully 
established. During their journeys and wander- 
ings in the wilderness until the time of the divi- 
sion of the land among the Tribes, the tabernacle 
had not long rested in one place. In the eigh- 
teenth chapter of Joshua we read: "And the 



Political Canaan 



159 



whole congregation of the children of Israel as- 
sembled together at shiloh, and set up the taber- 
nacle of the congregation there. And the land 
was subdued before them" (Josh. 18: 1). Shiloh 
now became the capital, or seat of government, 
as well as the religious center of the Israelitish 
people. Shiloh was a city north of Jerusalem, in 
the tribe of Ephraim. It wlas situated among the 
hills to the north of Bethel. Here the ark re- 
mained for a long time— from the days of Joshua 
to the end of Eli's life (Josh. 18:1; 1 Sam. 
4:3). To this circumstance Shiloh owed all its 
importance ; for after the loss of the ark, which 
never returned thither after it had been restored 
to Israel by the Philistines, Shiloh sank into 
insignificance. It was, indeed, the residence of 
Ahijah the prophet (1 Kings 11:29; 12:15; 
14 : 2 ) , but it is more than once mentioned as 
accursed and forsaken (Psa. 78: 60; Jer. 7: 12; 
26:6). The last mention of it in Scripture is 
in Jer. 41 : 5, which shows that it merely sur- 
vived the exile. 



160 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



CHAPTER XII 

THE UNDIVIDED MONARCHY 

From the time of the division of the land of 
Canaan among the ten tribes to the time of the 
Undivided Monarchy is a period known as the 
Rule of the Judges. During the Rule of the 
Judges the territories of the several tribes un- 
derwent numerous changes, the majority of 
which are not of sufficient importance to demand 
the attention in an outline course. 

Among other changes was the following : The 
tribe of Dan, being crowded by the Philistines, 
sent a number of their warriors on a northern 
expedition. Finding Laish at one of the sources 
of the Jordan, they slew its Sidonian inhabitants, 
took possession of the town, and called it a new 
name— Dan. As before noticed, this town was 
the northern outpost of the land of the Israelites. 

The events during the reign of the judges 
belong rather to history than to geography. The 
Rule of the Judges was succeeded by the reign 
of Saul, at whose coronation we enter a new 
epoch in the history of the Israelites. 

The kingdom of Saul, David, and Solomon 
is known as the Undivided Monarchy ; for after 
the reign of these three kings national troubles 
broke out among the Israelites, and the empire 



The Undivided Monarchy 



161 



was divided into two kingdoms ; namely, Judah 
and Israel. 

THE KINGDOM OF SAUL 

During the latter part of the Rule of the 
Judges considerable dissatisfaction arose among 
the people, and there was a growing demand for 
a more settled form of government. The Israel- 
ites desired that they might have a king like the 
nations around them. During the reign of Saul 
the entire extent of the kingdom covered an area 
of about six thousand square miles, not all of 
which was fully conquered. We divide the reign 
of Saul as follows: first, his appointment; sec- 
ondly, his military campaigns ; thirdly, his pur- 
suit of David ; fourthly, his defeat and death. 

The Appointment of Saul (1 Sam. 9-12) is con- 
nected with 

1. Ramah (a high place, a hill) .—Many of the 
ancient towns of Palestine were built on the tops 
of hills. Not less than five prominent towns 
bear the name of Ramah, and the term enters 
in composition with the name of many other 
places situated on eminences. The Eamah of 
our lesson, was the home of Elkanah, Samuel's 
father (1 Sam. 1:19; 2:11), the birthplace of 
Samuel, his home and official residence, the site 
of the altar (1 Sam. 7:17; 8:4; 15:34; 16:13; 



162 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



19: 18), and finally his burial-place (1 Sam. 25: 
1 ; 28 : 3) . It is a contracted form of Ramathaim- 
zophim. All that is directly said as to its situ- 
ation is that it was in Mt, Ephraim (1 Sam. 1 :1) , 
a district without definite boundaries. Tradi- 
tion fixes the location of Eamah about four miles 
north of Jerusalem. At this place Saul was 
privately anointed king. 

2. Mizpeh (1 Sam. 10 : 17), an unknown place, 
was probably near Eamah, where Saul was in- 
troduced to the people as their king. 

3. Gibeah, about four miles north of Jeru- 
salem, was Saul's home and the capital of his 
empire. 

4. Gil gal, in the valley of the Jordan, is where 
Saul was formally recognized as king after his 
victories at Jabesh-gilead. 

The location of places named in the account 
of Saul's search after his father's lost asses is 
not known with any degree of certainty. 

The Conquests of Saul (1 Sam. 11-18). -Liv- 
ing east of the Jordan were the Ammonites, a 
roving, troublesome, and cruel people, the an- 
cient enemies of the Israelites. Under their 
king, Xahash, they invaded the territory just 
east of the Jordan and besieged Jabesh-gilead. 
When the men of Jabesh asked for terms of 
peace, they were informed that on the condition 



The Undivided Monarchy 



163 



that they should allow all their right eyes to be 
put out they might have peace. i 6 And the elders 
of Jabesh said unto him, Give us seven days' 
respite, that we may send messengers unto all 
the coasts of Israel : and then, if there be no man 
to save us, we will come out to thee" (1 Sam. 
11 : 3). When the messengers came from Jabesh- 
gilead to Gibeah and told of their predicament 
and of the wretched conditions of peace pro- 
posed by the Ammonites, the people lifted up 
their voices and wept. When Saul, who was not 
present at the time the message came, heard the 
people weeping, he asked what it meant; and 
when he was told, the Spirit of God came upon 
him and his anger was kindled greatly against 
the cruel Ammonites. In his indignation he 
hewed in pieces a yoke of oxen and sent the 
pieces throughout all the coasts of Israel, saying, 
"Whosoever cometh not forth after Saul and 
after Samuel, so shall it be done unto his oxen. ' ' 
And the fear of the Lord fell upon the people 
and they went out with one consent. There were 
soon assembled three hundred and thirty thou- 
sand men. With this army Saul marched against 
the Ammonites and completely defeated them. 
After the battle the people returned to Gilgal, 
where they offered their sacrifices before the 
Lord with great rejoicing, and then proclaimed 
Saul as their king. 



164 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



Saul's next war was with the Philistines. In 
this war, Geba, which was near Gibeah, Saul's 
capital, and Michmash, across the valley from 
Geba, were wrested from the Philistines. 

Saul's wars with the Moabites and the Edom- 
ites, the location of whose countries have here- 
tofore been explained, are mentioned in 1 Sam. 
14 : 47. In the same verse are mentioned his 
wars with the kings of Zobah. Zobah was sit- 
uated near Damascus, northeast of Palestine; 
it was the head of the kingdom until it became 
subject to Israel in the reign of David. 

Saul's wars with the Amalekites, as recorded 
in 1 Sam. 15 : 1-35, marked a turning-point in 
his career. In them he disobeyed the commands 
of the Lord by the mouth of Samuel ; and though 
the war was a signal victory, Saul's disobedience 
alienated him from Samuel and the prophetic 
order. The Amalekites were wandering Bed- 
ouins of the desert, whose presence along the 
southern border of the country made the pos- 
sessions of the Israelites unsafe. Upon these 
enemies the ancient ban had been pronounced, 
and they were to be annihilated. Saul assembled 
his armies at Telaim on the southern border, 
probably located between Beersheba and the 
Dead Sea, and thence marched into the land of 
the Amalekites, destroyed their cities, laid 
waste their country, and imprisoned their king. 



The Undivided Monarchy 



165 



Though commanded by the Lord through Samuel 
to spare neither man nor beast, Saul saved the 
best of the oxen and the sheep under the pre- 
tense that he wished to sacrifice them unto the 
Lord in Gilgal. For this act Samuel sharply re- 
buked him and warned him of his rejection as 
the Theocratic king, saying, "The Lord hath 
rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, 
and hath given it to a neighbor of thine, that is 
better than thou" (1 Sam. 15:28). 

After the w*ar with the Amalekites, Saul was 
engaged in a second war with the Philistines. 
The latter gathered together to battle at Shochoh, 
a town belonging to Judah, and pitched their 
tents between Shochoh and Azekah. Saul and 
the men of Israel gathered together and came 
against the Philistines (1 Sam. 17:2, 3). It 
was during the encampment at these places that 
David slew Goliath, the Philistine giant. As a 
result, the Philistines fled. They were pursued 
by the Israelites even to the gates of Ekron and 
Gath, cities of the Philistines. Before this signal 
event David had probably been nothing more 
than a shepherd boy, but this act brought him 
prominently into notice, and he became one of 
Saul's household at Gibeah. Soon, however, he 
became an object of SauPs suspicion and hatred. 
Before his victory over Goliath David had been 



166 Historical Geography of the Bible 

anointed privately by Samuel at Bethlehem, six 
miles south of Jerusalem. 

David's Flight and Said's Pursuit (1 Samuel 
19-28).— TTe will notice about a dozen different 
locations visited by David in his flight from be- 
fore the face of Saul : 

1. Gibeah, mentioned as the capital of Saul's 
empire. 

2. Ramah, home of Samuel the prophet. 

3. Nob, a place probablv two miles north of 
Jerusalem (1 Sam. 21: 1-9; 22: 6-23). 

4. Gath } the previously mentioned city of the 
Philistines. 

5. The Cave of Ad nil am. — This cave was seen 
from Shefelah, or foot-hills, where three caverns 
are to be found (1 Sam. 22: 1, 2). 

6. Mizpeh, in the land of Moab. 

7. The Fortress of Hareth, in the land of 
Judah. 

8. Keilah, in the forests southwest of Jeru- 
salem. 

9. Ziph, a place in the wilderness south of 
Hebron. 

10. Wilderness of Maori, about seven miles 
south of Hebron. 



The Undivided Monarchy 



167 



11. Engedi, a mountain region overlooking 
the Dead Sea. 

12. TiiMag, on the south of Judah in the pos- 
session of the Philistines. Its exact location is 
not known. Some have supposed it to be about 
eleven miles southeast of Gaza. 

Defeat and Death.— Saul's disobedience to 
God in his campaign against the Amalekites, and 
his alienation from Samuel, marked the begin- 
ning of his decline. Heretofore he had been 
guided by Samuel, the good old prophet, and 
had been blessed of the Lord. Now he became 
independent, self-reliant, and jealous of young 
David, who was to be the future king of God's 
people. Saul's pursuit of David exhibited the 
most cruel hatred and unbridled jealousy. Saul's 
final downfall came in the fortieth year of his 
reign, B. C. 1055, during his third campaign 
against the Philistines. 

We shall now notice the geographical loca- 
tions mentioned in this campaign. Aphek, the 
location of which is uncertain, was where the 
armies of the Philistines met in their last war 
with Saul. From Aphek the Philistines marched 
to the blood-stained battlefield of Esdraelon. 
Shunem (1 Sam. 28:4) was the camp of the 
Philistines in the plain of Esdraelon. Mt. Gil- 
boa was the last place where the Israelite army 



168 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



assembled under Saul. Here they were brought 
face to face with their ancient enemies, the Phil- 
istines. On seeing the great host of Philistines 
encamped against him, wicked Saul was filled 
with fear. He inquired of the Lord, but the 
Lord did not answer him either by dreams or 
by prophets. In this desperate moment, as a 
last resort to find out what he should do, he 
asked his servants to seek a woman who had a 
familiar spirit, so that he might inquire. The 
dwelling-place of the witch whom the servants 
found was Endor, a cave located between Mt. 
Gilboa and Mt. Tabor. 

The night before the battle the terrified Saul 
stole away to this cave, and there had his inter- 
view with the witch of Endor. It is a sad pic- 
ture. The once brave king of Israel, who, by the 
command of God, once endeavored to extermin- 
ate all the witches of the land, now, cowed with 
fear, makes his way by night to the seclusion of 
a cave in order to seek wisdom of Satan's serv- 
ant. Saul laments, ' ' The Lord hath departed 
from me and answers me no more. ' ' He receives 
no consolation from the witch of Endor, but is 
told that on the morrow both he and his sons 
shall fall. In the morning the battle begins and 
the Israelites are completely routed. Trying to 
escape across the heights of Gilboa, great num- 
bers of them, including the three sons of Saul, 



The Undivided Monarchy 



169 



are slain in the Jordan Valley. On the battle- 
field strewn with the bodies of those who have 
fallen in battle, Saul is found alive ; but seeing 
his destruction near, he deliberately falls upon 
his own sword. Thus ends the career of Israel's 
first and disobedient king. 

THE EMPIRES OF DAVID AND 

SOLOMON 

The realms of David and Solomon are shown 
on Map V. When David came to the throne, 
which the death of Saul had left vacant, the em- 
pire comprised about six thousand square miles 
of territory. David left to Solomon, his suc- 
cessor, an empire embracing ten times as much, 
or sixty thousand square miles. 

Under the reign of David we shall mention: 
first, his birthplace; secondly, his battle-fields. 

Bethlehem, the birthplace and early home of 
David, as before mentioned, lies six miles south 
of Jerusalem. After the death of Saul, David 
moved from Ziklag to Hebron, where he was 
accepted as king over the tribe of Judah. In 
the early part of his reign, Ishbosheth, the only 
remaining son of Saul, was also nominally reign- 
ing over part of the land ; and Abner, Saul's gen- 
eral and the ablest man of his time, also exerted 
a great influence. This condition of affairs re- 



170 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



suited in civil war. Many battles were fought, 
no doubt, but only one is recorded. 

Gibeon, a hill city in the tribe of Benjamin, 
about five miles north of Jerusalem, was the 
place of battle between the armies of Abner, 
Ishbosheth. and David. Both Abner and Ish- 
bosheth were finally routed, and David was ac- 
cepted as king over the twelve tribes of Israel. 

Jehus, or Jebusi. was a fortress of Jebu on 
the border of Judah and Benjamin, afterward 
Jerusalem. After the civil war David's next 
act was to besiege Jebus. which had never been 
entirely in the possession of the Hebrews. Jebus 
was advantageously situated and was preem- 
inently the place for the capital of the empire. 
Jebus was in the upland region that ran along 
the country from north to south, 2,200 feet above 
the level of the Mediterranean and 3,500 feet 
above that of the Dead Sea. The town was 
flanked on both sides by deep ravines, with the 
Valley of Jehoshaphat on the east and the Val- 
ley of Hinnom on the west and south. 

Valley of Rephaim.— David's next battles 
were with the Philistines, who, growing jealous 
of David's increasing power, invaded his realm. 
Two battles were fought in the Valley of Keph- 
aim, in each of which the Philistines were ut- 
terly routed. 



The Undivided Monarchy 



171 



Gath.— After David's triumphant victory over 
the Philistines in the Vlalley of Eephaiin, he 
marched down from the Shefelah into the plain 
and took Gath. He soon completely defeated 
and subjugated the entire Philistine confeder- 
acy which had harassed the tribes of Israel for 
many centuries. 

David next fought ^ith the Moabites, whom he 
defeated and conquered (2 Sam. 8:2). He next 
smote Zobah, at that time the principal state be- 
tween Damascus and the Euphrates (2 Sam. 
8: 3, 4). The Syrians of Damascus, assisted by 
Zobah, were also defeated. Twenty-two thou- 
sand of them were slain, and the Syrians there- 
after became the servants of David. 

Edomites (2 Sam. 8: 14) ; the Ammonites (2 
Sam. 10:6-14). All the places mentioned in 
these wars have heretofore been located, and as 
geography, not history, is our present purpose, 
we will not again describe the several battles. 
Three great battles were fought in the war with 
the Ammonites, namely, Medeba, Helam, and 
Eabbah. The capture of the Ammonites ended 
the war and extended the realms of David from 
the Eed Sea to the Euphrates and made it the 
largest empire at that time in the Oriental world. 

Two other battles during the reign of David 
remain to be mentioned, which, however, are 
comparatively unknown, since they were only 



172 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



revolts or rebellions caused by internal troubles. 
The first was at the Wood of Ephraira. This 
locality was not in the tribe of the same name, 
but east of the Jordan, probably the place where 
the Ephraimites suffered a great defeat from 
Jephthah (Judges 12). The second battle was 
at Abel-beth-maachah, a locality in the extreme 
north of Palestine. 

THE REIGN OF SOLOMON 

The reign of Solomon presents a striking con- 
trast to that of his predecessors, Saul, and espe- 
cially David, who, until the latter part of his 
reign, was constantly harassed by his enemies. 
David left to Solomon the vast empire whose 
sword the nations had learned to respect. The 
reign of Solomon was, therefore, a peaceable one 
and is marked, not by bloody wars, but by the 
building of the temple of the Lord, for which 
his father David had made great preparations. 
Since the reign of Solomon was a peaceable one 
and his attention was given to the government 
and the building up of his empire, this period 
belongs to history rather than to geography. 



Division of Solomon's Empire 



173 



CHAPTER XIII 

DIVISION OF SOLOMON'S EMPIRE AND 
LANDS OF THE HEBREW CAPTIVES 

At the death of Solomon the empire was rent 
asunder, and five kingdoms took its place. They 
were Syria, Moab, Edom, Israel, and Judah. 
With the first three of these we are very little 
concerned, for they are not closely connected 
with Bible history. We shall, however, give 
their location, because the kingdoms of Judah 
and Israel came more or less in contact with 
them. 

The Kingdom of Syria extended from Mt. 
Hermon on its southern border to the Euphrates 
on the northeast. It was bounded on the west 
by Phoenicia (land of the Sidonians) and on 
the east by the Syrian Desert. 

The Kingdom of Moab was bounded on the 
north by the river Arnon, on the east by the 
great desert, on the south by the land of Edom, 
and on the west by the Dead Sea. 

The Kingdom of Edom extended southward 
from the Dead Sea down the Arabah to the head 
of the Gulf of Akabah. 



174 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



The Kingdom of Israel.— We now come to the 
divided monarchy of the kingdoms of Judah and 
Israel. Soon after the death of Solomon ten of 
the tribes revolted and under Jeroboam founded 
the kingdom of Israel. This kingdom included 
the greater part of Palestine proper. It was 
bounded on the north by the kingdom of Syria, 
on the east by the desert, on the south by Judah 
and Moab, and on the west by the Mediterranean. 
It contained 9,400 square miles. The boundary 
line between the kingdoms of Judah and Israel 
extended east and west, south of Jericho, Bethel, 
and Joppa. It varied at different times, moving 
northward or southward according to the rel- 
ative power of the two kingdoms. Over this 
kingdom ruled nineteen kings, representing sev- 
eral dynasties. The reign of these kings was 
broken at intervals by periods of anarchy. The 
capital was first at Shechem, then at Tirzah until 
the time of Omri, founder of the third dynasty. 
He chose a permanent location at Samaria, 
which became to the kingdom of Israel all that 
Jerusalem was to the kingdom of Judah. This 
kingdom had two religious centers — one at Dan 
in the extreme northern part, and one at Bethel, 
near the southern border. In each of these 
places, probably from an Egyptian custom, Jero- 
boam had placed a golden calf to represent the 
deity. Idolatry soon became the national re- 



Division of Solomon's Empire 



175 



ligion and characterized that kingdom through- 
out its history and gained for Jeroboam the 
undesirable distinction of "Jeroboam who made 
Israel to sin." The kingdom of Israel had a 
brief existence of about two hundred and fifty 
years. 

The Kingdom of Judah occupied the southern 
portion of Palestine west of the Jordan. It was 
bounded on the north by the kingdom of Israel, 
on the east by the Dead Sea, on the south by the 
Negeb, and on the west by the Mediterranean 
Sea. Judah had about 4,300 square miles. All 
the tribes east of the Jordan joined with the 
kingdom of Israel, leaving only two tribes, Judah 
and Benjamin. Their only seat of government 
and religious center was Jerusalem. The king- 
dom of Judah remained loyal to the house of 
David during all its history. It was ruled by 
twenty-one kings, all of one family. 

LANDS OF THE HEBREW CAPTIVITY 

The practise of deporting the inhabitants of 
a conquered land to some distant country was 
common among the Assyrians and the Baby- 
lonians. The chief object of this, no doubt, was 
to break down the national existence of trouble- 
some people and to place them under such con- 
ditions as would afford a guarantee against re- 



176 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



bellion. The Jews were doubtless removed to 
the far east for the purpose of getting them 
beyond the reach of Egyptian influence. 

Before going into the details of the captivity 
a few general remarks concerning the eastern 
empires may be in place. 

At the time of the first captivity the Assyrian 
Empire was rapidly rising into power. Pre- 
vious to this time they had absorbed the early 
Babylonian Empire and were now the ruling 
power in that part of the world. Nineveh was 
the largest city in the Assyrian Empire, but 
was not at all times the capital, or the seat of 
monarchy. At a later date Nabopolasser, who 
by the Assyrian king had been appointed gov- 
ernor of Babylon, proved treacherous and be- 
came the founder of a new kingdom which after- 
wards was the Chaldean Empire with the city 
of Babylon on the Euphrates as its capital. In 
this revolt and in the destruction of Nineveh 
which followed, Nabopolassar was assisted by 
Cyaxares the Median monarch. Nabopolassar 
was succeeded by his son, the noted Nebuchad- 
nezzar. Under Cyaxares the Medes achieved 
their independence. They, therefore, joined 
with the Babylonians in destroying the great city 
of Nineveh. Later, the Medes joined with the 
Persians, and under their clever general, Cyrus 



Division of Solomon's Empire 



177 



the Great, they conquered Babylon and founded 
the great Medo-Persian Empire. 

It is extremely difficult to give with certainty 
the boundaries of the empires, since they were 
constantly shifting. 

Let us notice the order in which the Israelites 
were conquered and deported. To speak in gen- 
eral terms, we may say that the kingdom of 
Israel was conquered first and taken captive by 
Assyria and carried to Nineveh and to the prov- 
ince of Media. The kingdom of Judah was con- 
quered nearly one hundred years later by Neb- 
uchadnezzar and carried to Babylon. This city 
had then risen to prominence. It was not until 
after the captivity of the kingdom of Judah 
that the Medes and Persians conquered Baby- 
lon ; for it will be remembered that on that mem- 
orable night when Cyrus marched his victorious 
armies into the city of Biabylon, when Belshaz- 
zar and his lords were in a drunken revelry, 
when the hand of God wrote on the wall in char- 
acters which none of the wise men of Babylon 
could read, Daniel, the Hebrew captive, was 
called upon to decipher the mysterious words. 

THE FIRST CAPTIVITY 

That which we name the first captivity was 
by no means brought about by a single removal 
of the population. In fact, the period of de- 



178 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



portation occupied one hundred and fifty years ; 
and the period of the return probably reaches 
through one hundred years. Pul, king of As- 
syria, first invaded the kingdom of Israel about 
771 B. C. (2 Kings 15: 19, 20). The next inva- 
sion was about 740 B. C, wihen Tigiath-pileser, 
king of Assyria (2 Kings 15 : 29) , carried off the 
pastoral population that lived beyond the Jor- 
dan, with Zebulun and Naphtali. To this event 
allusion is made in Isa. 9 : 1, a passage very 
poorly translated in our common version. In 
the time of Tigiath-pileser, Assyria was rapidly 
rising into power, and to aggrandize Nineveh 
was probably a chief object of policy. His suc- 
cessor, Shalmaneser, made the Israelitish king, 
Hoshea, tributary. When the tribute was with- 
held, he attacked and reduced Samaria (B. C. 
721), and by way of punishment and prevention 
transported into Assyria and Media its king and 
all the most valuable population remaining to the 
ten tribes (2 Kings 17:6). The families thus 
removed were, in great measure, settled in very 
distant cities, many of them probably not far 
from the Caspian Sea. Their place in Samaria 
was supplied bv colonies from Babylon and Susis 
(2 Kings 17:24). 

Such was the end of Israel as a kingdom. It 
is supposed by some, that these Babylonian col- 
onists intermarried with the remaining peasants 



Division of Solomon's Empire 



179 



in the land of Israel, and that their descendants 
are the Samaritans. The story of Esther estab- 
lishes the fact that many of the Jews were later 
scattered throughout Media for more than two 
hundred years after the first captivity. The 
Ahasuerus of Esther is supposed to be the same 
as Xerxes of the Medo-Persian Empire. Shu- 
shan (Susa), in the province of Elam in the 
mountains east of the Tigris and north of the 
Persian Grulf, was at this time the place where 
the Persian kings had their seat of government. 
The following table from Blaikie's History will 
show the successive deportations of the kingdom 
of Israel. 



Year B. C. 


Assyrian 
King-s 


King-s of 
Israel 


People Carried 
Off 


King-s of 
Judah 


Year before 
Destruction 
of Jerusalem 


771 
740 
721 


Pul 

Tig-lath-pileser 
Shalmaneser 


Menahem 

Pekah 

Hoshea 


Reuben, Gad, etc. 
Gilead.Galilee.etc. 
All Israel 


Uzziah 

Ahaz 

Hezekiah 


183 
152 
133 



THE SECOND CAPTIVITY 

An interval of more than one hundred years 
followed the captivity of Israel before Judah 
suffered a similar fate. The people of Judah, 
like the ten tribes, were not all taken at once, 



180 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



but were carried off in three detachments (2 
Kings 24 and 25). We have before mentioned 
that the Chaldean Empire, with Babylon as its 
capital, separated from Assyria and became the 
ruling power in the east. This accounts for the 
captives of Judah being carried to Babylon, 
while those of Israel, conquered by the Assyrian 
kings, were taken to Nineveh, Media, and Persia. 
We insert here another table, which gives in a 
concise form the three detachments of the cap- 
tivity of Judah. 



B. C. 


King-s of 
Judah 


The Conqueror 


People Carried Off 


607 

599 
588 


Jehoiakim 

Jehoiachin 
Zedekiah 


Nebuchadnezzar, act- 
ing- for his father 
Nebuchadnezzar 
Nebuchadnezzar 


Daniel and other 

princes 
10,000 chief people 
Nearly all the people 



THE RESTORATION 

While the Jews were yet held in bondage by 
the Babylonians, the conquering armies of the 
Medes and Persians under Cyrus came sweep- 
ing westward, and great Babylon fell before 
them. The seventy years of captivity were now 
almost ended, and God made Cyrus, though a 
heathen king, His servant to free His people. 
Cyrus issued a decree permitting the Jews to 
return to their own land and to rebuild the holy 
city of Jerusalem and the temple of the Lord. 



Division of Solomon's Empire 



181 



What became of the ten tribes of Israel is 
veiled in mystery. Some suppose that they in- 
termarried with the nations about them and thus 
lost their identity as a people, and it seems to 
be a universal opinion that no one knows who 
their descendants are. Others suppose it harsh 
assumption that such intermarriages were more 
common with the ten tribes than with the two. 
Some have concluded from Jas. 1 : 1 that the 
twelve tribes were still known as a separate 
people from the heathen in the days of the apos- 
tles. It is altogether probable that after the fall 
of Babylon and the decree to return and rebuild 
Jerusalem, many of the Israelites joined with 
the captives of Judah and returned to the land 
that was sacred alike to them all. 



182 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



CHAPTER XIV 
PALESTINE IN THE DAYS OF CHRIST 

The political geography of Palestine during 
the first seventy years of Xew Testament history 
is very difficult from the fact that during this 
time the government was changed from regal to 
provincial form, and again from provincial to 
regal. At the birth of Christ, Judea was under 
the control of King Herod. At the latter 's death 
his dominions were divided among three of his 
sons. To Archelaus were given Samaria. Judea, 
and Idumea ; to Philip, Gaulanitis, Auranitis, 
Trachonitis, Itunea, and Batanea ; to Herod An- 
tipas (called in the Xew Testament 4 4 Herod, the 
tetrareh"), Galilee and Perea. The fourth te- 
trarch was Lysanias, who ruled over the small 
district of Abilene, between Mt. Hermon and Da- 
mascus. ' ' Tetrareh ' ' means ' ' the ruler of a fourth 
part." Archelaus, Antipas, Philip, and Lysanias, 
as just mentioned, became the tetrarchs, or four 
rulers, of Palestine at the death of 6 6 Herod the 
king. ' ' In the year A. D. 41 the government was 
again changed, and Herod Agrippa was made 
king over all Palestine (Acts 12). At his death, 
in A. D. 44, his dominions were divided, and 
Judea, Samaria, Galilee, and Perea were ruled 
by procurators. This form of government con- 



Palestine in the Bays of Christ 



183 



tinned until the final destruction of Jerusalem, 
A. D. 70. 

Palestine in the days of Christ was most com- 
monly divided into three provinces wlest of the 
Jordan and two provinces east. West of Jordan 
were Judea on the south, Samaria in the middle, 
and Galilee on the north. East of the Jordan 
were Perea on the south, and the tetrarchy of 
Philip, sometimes called Decapolis, north of 
Perea and east of the Sea of Galilee. 

PROVINCES 

Province of Judea.— The province of Judea 
embraced the territory anciently belonging to 
the four tribes— Judah, Benjamin, Dan, and 
Simeon. Judea is bounded on the north by Sa- 
maria, but the boundary line between the two 
provinces is not fixed with certainty ; on its east- 
ern border is the river Jordan and the Dead 
Sea; on the south it is bounded by the desert; 
and on the west by the Mediterranean. 

Province of Samaria.— Samaria is the central 
province lying between Judea and the Carmel 
range of mountains. It is bounded on the north 
by the province of Galilee; on the east by the 
river Jordan; on the south by Judea; on the 
west by the Mediterranean. The Plain of Saron 
(Sharon) was occupied almost entirely by the 
Gentiles ; while its mountain region was held by 



181 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



the Samaritans, a people who, as mentioned in a 
former chapter, were of doubtful origin, but who 
are supposed to have descended from the rem- 
nant of the ten tribes and the heathens brought 
to the country by the kings of Assyria (2 
Kings 17). 

The Province of Galilee.— Galilee extended 
from Mt. Carmel to Mt. Lebanon and from the 
Sea of Tiberias to the Mediterranean and 
Phoenicia. The greater part of the ministry of 
Christ was accomplished in this province. 

The Province of P erect.— Per ea is bounded on 
the north by Decapolis, on the east by the desert, 
on the south by the river Arnon, and on the 
west by the river Jordan and the Dead Sea. It 
nearly corresponds to the location of the tribes 
of Reuben and Gad. Perea means "beyond," 
and the country was sometimes called "Judea 
by the farther side of Jordan" (Mark 10:1). 
Little mention is made of this province by the 
Xew Testament writers. 

The Province of Decapolis, or the Tetrarchy 
of Philip.— This province had no definite geo- 
graphical name. The term ' ' Decapolis 9 ' refers 
to ten cities, not all of which were in this prov- 
ince. Therefore the name "Decapolis" should 
not be confined to the name of a province, though 
it is sometimes used in this way. On our map, 
Decapolis is shown in Perea, which, however, is 



Palestine in the Days of Christ 



185 



not strictly correct. This province embraced 
five sections, as follows: Gaulanitis, Auranitis, 
Trachonitis, Ituraea, Batanea. 

PLACES OF PALESTINE ASSOCIATED 
WITH THE LIFE OF CHRIST 

We shall notice the places in the five provinces 
in the following order : (1) Judea, (2) Samaria, 
(3) Galilee, (4) Perea, (5) Decapolis. We shall 
give the location of each city, taking Jerusalem 
as the center and measuring-point. The events 
in the life of Christ associated with each place 
will be deferred until we shall have come to the 
journeys of the Master. The student should 
have a clear conception of the location of each 
of these places in order to be better able to fol- 
low the journeys of Jesus. 

PLACES IN JUDEA 

Jerusalem has been so frequently referred to 
in former chapters that we shall not notice it 
here, except to say that since the days of David 
it was the principal city in the province of Judea 
and the most important city in all Palestine. 

Bethlehem, as we have learned in a former 
chapter, is about six miles south of Jerusalem. 
Its altitude is 2,527 feet above the Mediterran- 
ean. Bethlehem was one of the Old Testament 
cities of Palestine. It was in existence at the 



186 Historical Geography of the Bible 

time of Jacob's return to the country from 
Padan-aram. Another name for this town was 
Ephrath (see Gen. 35 : 16-19 ; 48 : 7) . After the 
conquests of Palestine it appeared under its owm 
name, that of Bethlehem-judah (Judg. 17:7). 
The Book of Euth is a page from the history 
of Bethlehem. It was the home of Ruth (Euth 
1:19) and of David (1 Sam. 17:12). It was 
fortified by Eehoboam (2 Chron. 11: 5, 6). Most 
important of all, it was here that our Lord was 
born (Matt. 2:1). Here he was visited by the 
shepherds (Luke 2: 15-17) and by the wise men 
from the East (Matthew 2). It may be of in- 
terest here to note the reason for the coming of 
the parents of Jesus from their home at Naz- 
areth, nearly seventy miles to the north of Beth- 
lehem, at a time when their child was soon to be 
born. By reading Luke 2 : 1-7, which for con- 
venience we shall insert here, the matter is made 
plain. "And it came to pass in those days, that 
there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus 
that all the world should be taxed. (And this 
taxing was first made when Cyrenius was gov- 
ernor of Syria. ) And all went to be taxed, every 
one into his own city. And Joseph also went up 
from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into 
Judea, unto the city of David, which is called 
Bethlehem, (because he was of the house and 
lineage of David,) to be taxed with Mary his 



Palestine in the Bays of Christ 



187 



espoused wife, being great with child. And so 
it was, that, while they were there, the days were 
accomplished that she should be delivered. And 
she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped 
him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a man- 
ger; because there was no room for them in the 
inn." The only apparent reason for this long 
and tiresome journey at a time when it was so 
undesirable was the decree of Augustus that the 
world (the Soman Empire) should be taxed; 
but in the mind of God there was a reason more 
profound, and a higher hand than that of Cae- 
sar 's guided this pious pair along the mountain 
road to Bethlehem. The prophets of old had 
said that the Messiah should be born in Beth- 
lehem. Though Caesar was unaware of it, his 
decree was ordained of God to fulfil the proph- 
ecies of old. Little did Caesar realize that amidst 
the confusion and turmoil caused in the land 
by his decree, there should be born a king to 
Whom the throne of the Caesars and the thrones 
of other earthly potentates should be subjugated. 

Bethany was a small town about two miles 
east of Jerusalem! and was the home of Mary, 
Martha, and their brother Lazarus. This town 
was doubtless visited many times by Jesus. It 
lies in a rocky ravine at the eastern foot of the 
Mount of Olives. At this point Jerusalem is 
completely shut out from view, which gives to 



188 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



the little village a seclusion and singular quiet- 
ness. 

Mount of Olives, as we have already learned, 
is a long ridge extending along the eastern side 
of Jerusalem. Its name was probably derived 
from the olive-groves that once flourished on 
its slopes. Only on one of its sides can olive- 
groves be seen now, although the tree is still 
scattered over the hill in more or less abundance. 
In the time of our Lord it must have been more 
richly clad with foliage than at the present time. 

Gethsemcme.— The Garden of Gethsemane is 
situated across the brook Kedron from Jeru- 
salem, probably at the foot of the Mount of 
Olives to the northwest and about one half or 
three fourths of a mile from the walls of Jeru- 
salem. 

Golgotha, "the place of a skull," is the He- 
brew name of the place where our Lord was 
crucified (Matt. 27:33; Mark 15:22; John 19: 
17). Its exact location is not known, but it was 
somewhere outside of the walls of Jerusalem, 
probably not far from the city walls. 

The Wilderness of Judea is a wild, desolate 
region extending southeast from the hill coun- 
try of Jerusalem to the Dead Sea, It averages 
about fifteen miles in width. It is a limestone 
country, rough and barren, with but little vege- 
tation. It seems never to have had many in- 



Palestine in the Days of Christ 



189 



habitants nor any cities. As to the location of 
the Wilderness of Judea, there seems to be a 
difference of opinion among scholars. Some 
locate it north of Jerusalem along the valley 
of the Jordan ; others, as we have given it in this 
paragraph. 

Ephraim was a city in the district near the wil- 
derness and about ten miles north of Jerusalem. 

Emmaus was a village about seven and one 
half miles northwest of Jerusalem. Its exact 
location is now unknown. 

Jericho, an ancient city, was situated on a 
plain five miles west of the Jordan and seven 
miles northwest of the Dead Sea. It is called 
"the city of palm-trees," probably because it 
was once beautified with groves of palm-trees. 

PLACES 1ST SAMARIA 

Sychar.— This place is mentioned only in the 
Gospel of John (John 4:5). Some believe that 
Sychar was only another name for the town of 
Shechem, while others believe that it was a dif- 
ferent place. We are doubtless safer in iden- 
tifying it with Shechem, a city about twenty- 
seven miles north of Jerusalem. Jacob's Well 
was at this place. 

Salim (John 3: 23) was about two miles west 
of the Jordan and about forty-five miles north- 
east of Jerusalem. 



190 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



Samaria was situated about thirty miles north 
of Jerusalem and six miles northwest of She- 
chem, near the center of a beautiful basin about 
six miles in diameter and surrounded by high 
hills. Samaria was a little to the east of the 
center. The whole region about Samaria is a 
strong one for defense, and the view from the 
summit of the Mils is beautiful. From the tops 
of the mountains, it is said, the Mediterranean 
can be plainly seen. 

PLACES IN GALILEE 

Nazareth is situated about sixty-three miles 
north of Jerusalem among the hills of Lebanon, 
just before they sink into the Plain of Esdrae- 
lon. Above the town are several rocky ledges, 
over which a person could not be thrown with- 
out almost certain destruction. About three 
miles south of the town there is a rock precipice 
rising almost perpendicularly about forty feet 
high. Prom this spot, it is said by some, is to be 
seen the most beautiful view in the Holy Land. 

Carta is sixty-seven miles northeast of Jeru- 
salem and about three miles northeast of Naz- 
areth. 

The Mount of Beatitudes, on which ^as de- 
livered the memorial sermon of Jesus recorded 
in Matthew 5, 6, and 7, is a small hill, the exact 
location of which is not known. Its most prob- 



Palestine in the Days of Christ 



191 



able location is near the Sea of Galilee, in the 
vicinity of Capernaum. 

Nam was fifty-seven miles north of Jerusalem 
and about six miles southeast of Nazareth. 

Magdala was situated on the western shore 
of the Sea of Galilee, about seventy-five miles 
north of Jerusalem. 

Bethsaida was just north of Magdala and be- 
tween that city and Capernaum. There were 
two cities of this name : the one was on the west- 
ern shore of the Sea of Galilee, and the other to 
the northeast of the Sea of Galilee, in Gaulanitis. 
Some have supposed that there was really but 
one Bethsaida, the city being settled on both 
sides of the Jordan. It seems more probable, 
however, that there were two Bethsaidas. 

Capernaum was on the northwestern shore of 
the Sea of Galilee. It is of great interest as the 
home of Jesus after he left Nazareth. It is men- 
tioned in no part of the Bible except in the four 
Gospels. There is considerable difference in 
opinion as to the exact location of Capernaum, 
but the location that We have given seems the 
most probable. 

PLACES IN PEEEA 

Bethdbara was twenty-four miles northeast of 
J erusalem on the east of the Jordan, nearly op- 



192 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



posite Jericho. It was Bethabara, in the valley 
of the Jordan, to which Jesus journeyed from 
Nazareth to be baptized of John. 

PLACES m DECAPOLIS 

Gergesa, a small village in the country of the 
Gadarenes, called also Gergesenes, east of the 
Sea of Galilee. 

Bethsaida.— As we have before explained, 
there are two Bethsaidas. The one we now re- 
fer to is on the east of the Jordan, just north of 
the Sea of Galilee. This Bethsaida was known 
as Bethsaida Julia, in honor of the daughter of 
the Boman ruler, Tiberius Caesar. 

Mt. Hermon, in Gaulanitis, is one hundred 
and eighteen miles northeast of Jerusalem. Tt 
is supposed by the best authorities to be the 
mount of transfiguration. Tradition associates 
the transfiguration with Mt. Tabor, which rises 
from the northeastern arm of the Plain of Es- 
draelon and lies about six or eight miles east 
from Nazareth. 

Caesar ea Philippi is a town at the foot of Mt. 
Hermon, about twenty miles north of the Sea 
of Galilee and forty-five miles southwest of 
Damascus. It was the most northern town to 
which our Lord journeyed. 



Journeys of the Master 



195 



CHAPTER XV 
JOURNEYS OF THE MASTER 

One scholar has followed Jesus through no 
less than one hundred and thirty-four distinct 
journeys, but w!e shall not attempt to divide 
them into so many separate journeys. Five 
divisions of these intensely interesting and im- 
portant pilgrimages will serve our purpose. 

L Early life of Christ. 

II. First year of his ministry. 

III. Second year of his ministry. 

IV. Third year of his ministry. 

V. Closing events of his life. 

Besides these five divisions we add a sixth— 
from the resurrection to the ascension. 

1. EARLY LIFE OF JESUS 

1. JOURNEYS IN CHILDHOOD 

From Bethlehem to Jerusalem.— The first 
journey of Jesus after his birth in Bethlehem 
of Judea, the ancient home of his ancestor Da- 
vid, was to Jerusalem. When eight days old, 
he was taken by his parents to the temple and 
presented before the Lord according to the law 



196 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



of Moses, which said, ' ' Every male that openeth 
the womb shall be called holv to the Lord" 
(Luke 2:22-39). 

The Return to Bethlehem. — After the presen- 
tation in the temple, Joseph and Mary, it seems, 
returned again to Bethlehem, where Jesus was 
visited by the wise men from the East, The 
wise men, having come by way of Jerusalem, 
had given Herod intelligence of the fact that 
they had come to worship the new-born King. 
The thought of a rival king stirred the heart of 
jealous Herod, and he instructed the wise men 
to return and tell him when they had found 
where the child was, that he also might go and 
worship him. The wise men were warned of 
God in a dream not to return to Herod, so they 
departed into their own country another way. 

The Flight into Egypt.— Joseph, being warned 
in a dream of the wicked intention of Herod, 
obeved the instructions of the Lord and fled 
into Egypt (Matt. 2:13-15). They left Beth- 
lehem in time to escape the slaughter of the 
infants. Herod, having inquired of the wise 
men, knew that Jesus could not be more than 
two years old. Hoping, therefore, to kill Jesus 
and thus to preserve his throne, he gave orders 
for every infant in Bethlehem under two years 
old to be killed. 



Journeys of the Master 



197 



The Return to Nazareth.—- 6 'But when Herod 
was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appear- 
eth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, 
Arise, and take the young child and his mother, 
and go into the land of Israel : for they are dead 
which sought the young child's life. And he 
arose, and took the young child and his mother, 
and came into the land of Israel. But when he 
heard that Archelaus did reign in Judea in the 
room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go 
thither: notwithstanding being warned of God 
in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of 
Galilee : and he came and dwelt in a city called 
Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was 
spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a 
Nazarene" (Matt. 2:19-23). 

It has pleased the Lord to leave us in total 
ignorance of Jesus' life from the time of the 
return to Nazareth until he was twelve years 
old. His time was probably spent, like that 
of other Jewish children, in the ordinary affairs 
of life and in learning the first lessons in the 
Jewish religion, which were taught to every 
child of pious Jewish families. 

Visit to Jerusalem (Luke 2 : 41-50).— What 
occurred during this visit to Jerusalem is fa- 
miliar to all Bible students. After Joseph and 
Mary had started home, they missed Jesus from 
the company. After three days' search in the 



198 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



city of Jerusalem, they found him in the tem- 
ple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both 
hearing them and asking them questions. When 
asked what he meant by such conduct and why 
he had served his parents thus, he answered 
them, ''How is it that ye sought me? wist ye 
not that I must be about my Father's business ? ' 9 

Second Return to Nazareth. — ' ' And he went 
down with them, and came to Xazareth, and was 
subject unto them: but his mother kept all these 
sayings in her heart. And Jesus increased in 
wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and 
man" (Luke 2:51, 52). From this second re- 
turn to Nazareth until his baptism by John the 
Baptist, nothing is known of the history of Je- 
sus 9 life, only what has been conjectured and 
imagined, and that he was subject to his parents 
and left the world an example of an obedient 
son. According to the J ewish law, a priest could 
not enter upon his priestly duties until he was 
thirty years of age. Accordingly, Jesus did not 
appear in public until he had reached his thir- 
tieth year. 

2. JOTJBSTEYS BETWEEN THE AGES OE 12 AND 30 

From Nazareth to the Place of Baptism.— Je- 
sus came to John the Baptist in A. D. 26, to be 
baptized, according to our accepted chronology. 
This would make Jesus thirty years old, be- 



Journeys of the Master 



201 



cause through a mistake our chronologists fixed 
the year of the birth of our Lord A. D. 4, which 
makes our Christian era four years too late. In 
other words, the Christian era dates from the 
time Christ was four years old. Adding, there- 
fore, four years to A. D. 26, we have thirty 
years. The place of baptism, we are plainly 
told, was in the Jordan, but the exact location 
is not given. Probably it was near Bethabara. 
Assuming that Jesus started from Nazareth, we 
see that he traveled a distance of about sixty 
miles over the mountains of Palestine to be bap- 
tized of John in the river Jordan. 

Retreat to the Wilderness (Matt. 4:1-11).— 
Soon after his baptism Jesus went to the wil- 
derness, where he spent forty days in fasting 
and underwent severe temptations of Satan. 

Again at Bethabara.— After the forty days of 
temptation Jesus called his first disciples (John 
1:35-51). It is supposed that the calling of 
these disciples took place in the neighborhood of 
Bethabara, where he most likely appeared after 
his return from the wilderness. 

Cana.— Soon after his baptism and his temp- 
tation in the wilderness, it appears that Jesus 
returned to Galilee, probably taking his first five 
disciples along with him. 



202 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



II. FIRST YEAR OF OUR LORD'S 

MINISTRY 

While at Cana, Jesus performed his first mir- 
acle by turning water into wine (John 2: 1-11). 

Visit to Capernaum (John 2:12).— On this 
visit the mother of Jesus, his brethren, and also 
his disciples accompanied him; but it would 
seem that they did not remain at Capernaum 
long, probably on account of the near approach 
of the Jewish Passover. 

Journey to Jerusalem; First Passover (John 
2 : 13-22).— It was during this visit to Jerusalem 
that Jesus rebuked the Jews for making his 
Father 's house a house of merchandise. It was 
also at this time that he prophesied concerning 
his resurrection: "Destroy this temple, and in 
three days I will raise it up." And it was 
during this stay at Jerusalem that he had the 
conversation with Nicodemus recorded in John 
3:1-21. 

Journey to Sychar (John 4:1-42).— On his 
way back toward Galilee he had, of necessity, 
to go through Samaria. Coming to the city of 
Sychar, the place of Jacob's Well, and being 
weary with his journey, he sat on the well. It 
was about the sixth hour (twelve o'clock). While 
resting here he had the conversation wdth the 



Journeys of the Master 



205 



woman of Samaria, which is recorded in John 
4:7-26. 

Return to Car&a (John 4:43-54).— It was on 
this second visit to Cana that he healed the 
nobleman's son. 

Return to Nazareth (Luke 4: 15-30). —Return- 
ing to his home at Nazareth, Jesus appeared 
for the first time— so far as we have any record 
—as a public speaker when he went into the 
synagogue on the Sabbath-day and stood up to 
read. It was at this time that he read the 
passage in Isa. 61 : 1. It would seem from Luke 
4 : 23 that previous to this, while at Capernaum, 
Jesus had done some public work, but of this we 
have no record. After his discourse at Naz- 
areth, his townsmen were so enraged that they 
rose up and dragged him out of the city. They 
led him to the brow of the hill whereon the 
city was built and would have cast him down 
headlong, but he passed through the midst of 
them and went his way. 

Second Visit to Capernaum (Luke 4:31).— 
Here he again entered the synagogue and began 
to preach. Many were astonished at his doc- 
trine, for his word was with power. It was 
here that an unclean spirit cried out with a loud 
voice, saying, "Let us alone; what have we to 
do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou 



206 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



come to destroy us! I know thee who thou art, 
the Holy One of God." After easting the evil 
spirit out of the man, Jesus left the synagogue 
and entered into the house of Simon and dined. 
Simon's mother-in-law was sick with fever, and 
he healed her. Later in the evening people came 
from all directions with their sick; and Jesus 
healed every one and cast out the unclean spirits, 
many of whom testified, saying, ' 6 Thou art 
Christ the Son of God. ' 9 On the next day he de- 
parted from the multitude and went into a desert 
place. Even here the people sought him and 
plead with him not to depart from them ; but he 
told them that he must preach the gospel to 
other cities as well as to them. Jesus then de- 
parted and went into synagogues throughout 
Galilee preaching the kingdom of God. Of the 
several places he visited while on this general 
circuit of Galilee we are not told; but we read 
that "Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in 
their synagogues" and "healing all manner of 
sickness and all manner of disease" (Matt. 
4:23). 

Mount of Beatitudes.— After his general 
tour of Galilee Jesus went up into a mountain, 
and when he had seated himself, according to the 
custom of teachers in those days, his disciples 
came to him, and he taught them those wonder- 
ful sayings recorded in Matthew, chapters 5-7 



Journeys of the Master 



207 



inclusive, which we call the Sermon on the 
Mount. 

The Lake of Gennesaret (Luke 5:1).— We 
next find J esus at the Sea of Galilee. Here the 
people pressed upon him to hear the word of 
God. In order that he might address the as- 
sembly better, he entered a ship, or fisherman's 
boat, and had the fishermen row out a little space 
from the shore. From this position he then 
taught the people. The ship belonged to Simon 
Peter, a fisherman and a disciple of the Lord. 
After the sermon, Jesus said to Simon, "Launch 
out into the deep and let down your nets for a 
draught." He replied that they had toiled all 
the night and had taken nothing, "neverthe- 
less, 9 9 added he, c 6 at thy word I will let down the 
net." The result was, "that they inclosed a 
great multitude of fishes" (read Luke 5: 1-11). 
The next probable event associated with this 
visit to the Sea of Galilee was the healing of the 
leper, as recorded in Matt. 8:2-4; Mark 1 : 40-45 ; 
Luke 5 : 12-15. After this Jesus retired into 
the wilderness for a season of prayer. 

Home Again to Capernaum,.— It will be re- 
membered that just before the first Passover 
Jesus, his mother, and his brethren went to 
Capernaum. It seems that they made this city 
their home, for throughout the ministry of Je- 
sus we repeatedly find him at this place. The 



208 Historical Geography of the Bible 



first notable event that we notice after his return 
to Capernaum was the healing of the man sick 
with palsy (read Matt, 9:2-8; Mark 2:1-12; 
Luke 5:18-26); the next, the calling of Mat- 
thew (Matt, 9:9; Mark 2 : 13, 14 ; Luke 5 :27, 28) . 

III. THE SECOND YEAR OF CHRIST'S 

MINISTRY 

We very naturally begin the year with the 
Jewish Passover, which, however, does not occur 
until the fourteenth day of the first month. 

Visit to Jerusalem (John 5:1).— The first 
notable event associated with this visit to Jeru- 
salem was the miracle at the Pool of Bethesda, 
the healing of the impotent man who had been 
afflicted for thirty-eight years (John 5:2-16). 
Afterward we find Jesus in the temple. A con- 
versation led to the discourse recorded in John 
5 : 17-47. 

Return to Galilee.— After his return to G-alilee 
we note first the plucking of the ears of corn 
(Matt. 12 : 1 ; Mark 2 : 23 ; Luke 6:1). 

Again at Capernaum.— Here Jesus, after his 
discourse in the synagogue, performed the mir- 
acle of healing the withered hand (Matt. 12:10- 
13 ; Mark 3 : 1-5 ; Luke 6 : 6-10 ) . After the oppo- 
sition of the Scribes and the Pharisees on ac- 
count of the healing of the withered hand, Jesus 



Journeys of the Master 



211 



again retired for prayer (Luke 6:12). After 
he had prayed all night, he chose and ordained 
his twelve disciples, "whom also he named apos- 
tles." 

Plain of Gennesaret.— Going out to the Plain 
of Gennesaret, which was doubtless near Caper- 
naum, Jesus met great multitudes of people 
from Judea, Jerusalem, and from the seacoast 
towns of Tyre and Sidon, who had heard of his 
fame and had come to hear him and to be healed 
of their diseases. Many of them were vexed 
with unclean spirits, and he healed them. ' 1 The 
whole multitude sought to touch him : for there 
went virtue out of him, and healed them all" 
(Luke 6:17-19). 

Return to Capernaum.— Raving ended his 
sermon and his ministry in the Plain of Gen- 
nesaret, he returned to Capernaum, probably 
with the intention of taking refreshments and 
resting a while. It was at this time that the 
centurion heard of Jesus and sent unto him, be- 
seeching him to come and heal his servant. 
"When he was now not far from the house, the 
centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him, 
Lord, trouble not thyself : for I am not worthy 
that thou shouldest enter under my roof : . . . 
but say in a word, and my servant shall be 
healed." At this Jesus marveled, and said, "I 
have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel, 9 9 



212 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



and imniediatelv the servant was healed (Matt. 
8:5-13; Luke 7:1-10). 

Jesus Goes to Nain (Luke 7 : 11-17).— Just 
outside the gate of Xain he met a funeral pro- 
cession. On hearing that the one dead was the 
only son of a widowed mother, Jesus had com- 
passion on the bereaved mother. He touched 
the bier and said unto the young man, "I say 
unto thee, Arise. And he that was dead sat up, 
and began to speak. And he delivered him to 
his mother." 

Return to Capernaum. — Upon his return to 
Capernaum, Jesus received the message from 
John the Baptist recorded in Luke 7 : 19-21, and 
in reply sent the answer given in verses 22 and 
23. After the discourse in verses 24-30, Jesus 
gave the warnings to Chorazin, Bethsaida, and 
Capernaum recorded in Matt. 11 : 21 and ut- 
tered the prayer recorded in verses 25-27. Xext, 
Jesus was invited to dine with a Pharisee. While 
he was in the Pharisee's house, a woman of the 
city, probably a Gentile, washed his feet with her 
tears, wiped them with the hair of her head, 
and anointed them with very precious ointment 
(Luke 7:36-50). 

Second General Circuit of Galilee (Luke 8: 
1-3; Mark 15:41).— On this general circuit we 
note the following important events : return to 
Capernaum; healing of a demoniac (Matt. 12: 



Journeys of the Master 



213 



22) ; warning to the Pharisees about blasphemy 
against the Holy Ghost (Matt. 12:24-32; Mark 
3:22-30); discourse about the unclean spirit 
(Matt. 12:43-45). The following parables he 
probably spoke in the Plain of Gennesaret : the 
Tares (Matt. 13:24-30, 36-43); the Mustard- 
Seed (Matt. 13:31, 32; Mark 4:30-32); the 
Leaven (Matt. 13: 33) ; the Candle (Mark 4: 21, 
22; Luke 8:16); the Treasure (Matt. 13:44); 
the Pearl (Matt. 13:45, 46); the Net (Matt. 
13:47-49). 

Voyage to the Country of the Gergesenes 
(Matt. 8: 23-27). -The first notable event after 
Jesus landed in the country of the Gergesenes, 
or the Gadarenes (Luke 8: 26-36), which is sup- 
posed to have been at Gadara, a city in that coun- 
try, w<as the casting out of devils and permitting 
them to enter the herd of swine (Matt. 8:28- 
32 ) . When the men who had been keeping the 
swine went to the city, probably Gadara, and 
told what had happened, the whole city came 
out to meet Jesus. They besought him to depart 
out of their country. 

Return to Galilee (Matt. 9: 1).— After his re- 
turn to Galilee, and probably to his home at 
Capernaum, Jesus spoke the parable of the 
bridegroom (Matt. 9: 14, 15) and performed va- 
rious miracles: the issue of blood; the healing 
of Jairus' daughter (Matt. 9:18-26; Mark 5: 



214 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



22-43; Luke 8:41-56) ; the healing of the blind 
men (Matt. 9:27-30); the dumb spirit (Matt. 
9:32, 33). After this Jesus commissioned his 
twelve apostles (Matt. 10 : 1 ; Mark 6 : 7-11 ; Luke 
9:1-5). About this time, A. D. 29, John the 
Baptist was beheaded. 

Bethsaida (Julia).— Jesus next went over the 
Sea of Galilee to Bethsaida. To this place a 
great multitude followed him because they saw 
the miracles that he performed. Jesus now took 
his disciples and went aside privately into a 
desert place near Bethsaida; but the people 
somehow ascertained his whereabouts and fol- 
lowed him even to the desert. He received them, 
preached to them the kingdom of God, and 
healed those in need of healing (Luke 9 : 10, 11 ) . 
After spending some time in the desert, the mul- 
titude became fatigued and hungry, and it was 
necessary that they should have victuals. The 
disciples suggested sending the multitude away 
that they might go into the country villages 
round about and buy food ; but Jesus answered, 
' 6 Give ye them to eat. " They replied, ' ' We have 
here but five loaves, and two fishes. ' ' Jesus then 
performed the well-known miracle— feeding the 
five thousand from this small amount of food 
(Matt, 14 : 13-21 ; Mark 6 : 30-44 ; Luke 9 : 12-17). 

Return to Galilee.— Immediately after feed- 
ing the five thousand, Jesus constrained his dis- 



Journeys of the Master 



215 



ciples to get into a ship and go out on the deep 
while he sent the multitude away. Having sent 
the multitude away, he went up into a mountain 
to pray. Night drew on, and when the ship was 
in the midst of the sea, one of those violent 
storms so common on the Sea of Galilee came 
upon the disciples, who were rowing hard 
against the contrary winds and waves. In the 
after part of the night Jesus, knowing of their 
distress, came walking to them over the stormy 
billows. It was at this time that Peter started 
to his Master, walking on the wkves. When 
Jesus came into the ship, the wind ceased (Matt. 
14:25-33; Mark 6:45-51; John 6:16-21). 

Again at Capernaum (John 6: 22-24).— After 
his return to Capernaum, he gave the discourse 
recorded in John 6 : 26-71. 



216 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



CHAPTER XVI 
JOURNEYS OF THE MASTER — Continued 

IV. THE THIRD YEAR OF CHRIST'S 
MINISTRY 



At the beginning of the third year of his min- 
istry, Jesus is still found at Capernaum. Here 
he preached a discourse to the Pharisees (Mark 
7:1-23). 

Journey to Phoenicia (Matt. 15:21-28; Mark 
7 : 24-30). — The one notable event connected 
with our Lord's visit to Phoenicia was the heal- 
ing of the Syro-Phoenician woman's daughter. 

Decapolis. — Eeturning from the coasts of 
Tyre and Sidon, Jesus came again to the Sea 
of Galilee, probably through the country east 
of the Jordan (Decapolis). On this return jour- 
ney we notice the following miracles : healing 
of the deaf and dumb man (Mark 7:32-35); 
healing of many sick (Matt. 15: 30, 31) ; feeding 
the four thousand near the Sea of Galilee (Matt. 
15:32-38; Mark 8:1-9). 

Bethsaida (Mark 8 : 22). -Eeturning to Gal- 
ilee, Jesus healed a blind man (Mark 8: 22-26). 

Journey to Mt. Hermon (Matt. 16:12; Mark 
8:27). — Jesus took three of his disciples— 



Journeys of the Master 



219 



Peter, James, and John— with him up into a 
high mountain, where he was transfigured (Mark 
9 : 2-10). It was while on his journey home that 
our Lord healed the demoniac child (Matt. 17: 
14-21; Luke 9 :37-42). 

The Return to Galilee (Mark 9: 30). -On the 
return to Galilee, we note the following events : 
lesson on humility and docility (Matt. 18:1-5; 
Mark 9:33-37; Luke 9:46-48)"; lesson on for- 
giveness (Matt. 18: 15) ; parable of the unmer- 
ciful servant (Matt. 18:23-35). 

Return to Jerusalem; Feast of the Taber- 
nacles (John 7: 2-10).— While Jesus was at 
Jerusalem to attend the feast of tabernacles, we 
note the following events of his ministry: the 
discourse recorded in John 7 : 14-46 ; officers 
sent to arrest him (John 7: 30-46) ; the adul- 
teress forgiven (John 8:3-11); discourse re- 
corded in John 8:12-58; threatened with ston-" 
ing (John 8: 59) ; healing of the blind men and 
conversation with Pharisees (John 9:1-41); 
Christ, the door and the good shepherd (John 
10 : 1-18 ) ; the time of the Jewish feast of the 
dedication now came, and We find Jesus still at 
Jerusalem (John 10:22, 23). After his dis- 
course on his divinity and his oneness with the 
Father (John 10:30), the Jews took up stones 
and would have killed him (John 10: 31). 

Retreat across the Jordan to Perea (John 



220 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



10:40).— In order to escape the mob at Jeru- 
salem, Jesus retreated across the Jordan to 
Perea at the place where John baptized. Many 
people came thither to him; he taught them, 
and many believed. 

Journey to Bethany.— It was while Jesus was 
in Perea that he heard of the death of Lazarus. 
He went to Bethany and raised Lazarus from 
the dead and comforted the hearts of the be- 
reaved sisters (John 11: 1-44). Following this 
event, bitter persecution broke out among the 
Jews, and they took counsel how they might 
put him to death. 

Retreat to Ephraim (John 11: 54).— We have 
no record of the work of Jesus while at Ephraim, 
but the apostle John says, ' ' There he continued 
with his disciples." 

Journey to Samaria.— Jesus sent his disciples 
to prepare a place for him in a village of Sa- 
maria; but the people did not receive him, for 
they saw that he was going toward Jerusalem. 
On account of this treatment the disciples 
wanted to command fire to come down from 
heaven and consume the people; but for this 
Jesus rebuked them, saying that he came not 
"to destroy men's lives, but to save them." 
Then they went into another place. It was on 
this visit to Samaria that the healing of the 
lepers took place (Luke 17: 12-14). After this, 



Journeys of the Master 



221 



it seems, Jesus returned to Galilee, where he 
appointed the seventy (Luke 10:1-17). The 
geography of our Lord's ministry during this 
time, however, is somewhat uncertain. 

Return to Jerusalem. — It would seem that our 
Lord next returned to Jerusalem, and that on 
the journey, probably between Jerusalem and 
Jericho, he uttered the parable of the Good 
Samaritan. After the record of this parable we 
find him at the home of Mary and Martha (see 
Luke 10:38). 

Bethany (Luke 10 : 38-42).— While at Bethany 
he stayed at the home of Mary and Martha, and 
had the conversation with these sisters recorded 
in Luke 10 : 41, 42. It was about this time, pos- 
sibly while on the Mount of Olives near Beth- 
any, that our Lord taught his disciples to pray 
(Matt. 6 : 9-13 ; Luke 11 : 2-4) . It was probably 
here also that he taught the lesson of impor- 
tunity (Luke 11:5-13). 

Jerusalem.— -We next find our Lord at Jeru- 
salem, where he cast out a dumb spirit (Luke 
11 : 14) ; healed a woman with an infirmity (Luke 
13 : 11-13) ; healed a man of dropsy (Luke 14 :2) ; 
gave a lesson on humility (Luke 14: 7-11) ; and 
spoke the following parables: the Rich Pool 
(Luke 12: 16) ; the Barren Fig-Tree (Luke 13: 
6-9) ; the Mustard-Seed (Luke 13: 18, 19) ; the 
Great Supper (Luke 14:16-24); the 1 Lost. 



222 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



Sheep and the Piece of Silver (Luke 15: 1-10) ; 
the Prodigal Son (Luke 15 : 11-32) ; the Unjust 
Steward (Luke 16: 1-12) ; Lazarus and the Rich 
Man (Luke 16: 19-31) ; the Importunate Widow 
(Luke 18: 1-8) ; the Pharisee and the Publican 
(Luke 18:9-14); the Eich Young Man (Luke 
18 : 18-23 ; Matt. 19 : 16-22 ; Mark 10 : 17-22) ; the 
Laborers in the Vineyard (Matt. 20: 1-16) ; the 
Ten Pounds (Luke 19: 12-28). 

Jericho (Matt. 20: 29).— Whether our Lord 
left Jerusalem on a journey to Jericho and then 
came back again, does not seem very clear. It 
may have been on his journey from Galilee to 
Jerusalem that he healed blind Bartiniaeus at 
Jericho. 

V. CLOSING EVENTS OF OUR LORD'S 

LIFE 

The closing events of our Lord's life cluster 
around his last Passover. Associated with the 
closing scenes of his earthly ministry are Jeru- 
salem, Bethlehem, the Mount of Olives, and the 
Garden of Gethsemane. His last journeys were 
therefore not long ones, and for the remainder 
of the chapter we will simply name the places as 
visited by him and give the most important 
events without describing the journeys from one 
place to another. 



Journeys of the Master 



223 



Bethany. — 

The supper in Simon's house (Matt. 26 : 6-13). 

Mary anoints Jesus (Matt. 26: 7). 
Jerusalem.— 

Triumphal entry into the temple (Matt. 21: 
1-16). 

Bethany.— 

Eetirement to (Matt. 21:17). 
Mount of Olives.— 

Cursing the fig-tree (Matt. 21:19). 
Jerusalem.— 

Cleansing the temple (Matt. 21: 12). 
Bethany.— 

Eetirement to (Mark 11: 19). 
Mount of Olives.— 

The withered fig-tree and its lesson (Mark 
11:20-26). 
Jerusalem.— 

Discourses in the temple : 

The father and two sons (Matt. 21: 28-32). 
The wicked husbandmen (Matt. 21:33-46). 
The wedding-garment (Matt. 22:1-14). 
Tribute money (Matt. 22:15-22). 
The Sadducees and the resurrection (Matt. 
22:23-33). 

The great commandment (Matt. 22: 34-40). 
The widow's mite (Mark 12:41-44). 
The eight woes (Matthew 23). 



224 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



Destruction of Jerusalem and of the world 
(Matthew 24). 
Mount of Olives.— 

Parables : 

Ten virgins (Matt. 25:1-13). 
Talents (Matt. 25:14-30). 
Sheep and goats (Matt. 25:31-46) 
Bethany.— 

Warning of the betrayal (Matt. 26:1, 2). 
Jerusalem.— 

The council of the Sanhedrin (Matt. 26:3). 

Judas' betrayal (Matt. 26:14). 

Preparation of the passover (Matt. 26 : 17-19). 

Washing the apostles' feet (John 13:1-17). 

The breaking of bread (Matt. 26:26). 

The blessing of the cup (Matt. 26:27-29). 

The discourse after the supper (John 14-16). 

Christ's prayer for the apostles (John 17). 
Gethsemane.— 

The agonv (Matt. 26:37). 

Betrayal by Judas (Matt. 26:47-50). 
Jerusalem.— 

Christ led to Annas (John 18: 12, 13). 

Christ tried by Caiaphas (Matt. 26:57). 

Peter follows Christ (Matt. 26:58). 

Christ before Pilate (Matt, 27:2). 

Christ sent by Pilate to Herod, mocked, ar- 
rayed in purple (Luke 23: 6-11). 

Pilate delivers Jesus to be crucified (Mark 
15:15). 



Journeys of the Master 



225 



Journey to the Cross.— 
Jerusalem : 

Simon of Cyrene carries the cross (Matt. 
27:32). 
Golgotha: 

They give him vinegar and gdll (Matt. 
27:34). 

Nail him to the cross (Matt. 27: 35). 
The superscription (Matt. 27:37). 

THE GREAT FORTY DAYS 

The Garden.— 
Women carry spices to the tomb (Mark 16 : 1). 
Am angel had rolled away the stone (Matt. 
28:2). 
Jerusalem.— 

Women announce the resurrection (Matt. 
28:8). 
The Garden.— 
Peter and John run to the tomb (John 20 :2-8). 
The wrnen return to the tomb (Luke 24: 1). 
Jerusalem.— 

The guards report it to the chief priests 
(Matt. 28:11-15). 

APPEARANCES OF CHRIST AFTER HIS RESURRECTION 

The Garden.— 

To Mary Magdalene (Mark 16:9). 



226 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



To the women returning home (Matt. 28:9). 
Emma/us. — 

To two disciples going to Eniniaus (Luke 
24:13-15). 
Jerusalem.— 

To Peter (1 Cor. 15: 5; Luke 24: 34). 
To ten apostles in the upper room (Luke 
24:33-36). 

To the eleven apostles in the upper room, in- 
cluding Thomas (^lark 16:14; John 20: 
24-29). 
Tiberias.— 

To seven apostles at the Sea of Tiberias 
(John 21: 1-24). 
Galilee.— 

To eleven apostles on a mountain in Galilee 
(Matt. 28:16). 
Galilee or Bethany.— 

To five hundred brethren at once (1 Cor. 
15:6). 

To James (1 Cor. 15: 7). 
Bethany.— 

Ascension (Acts 1:4-12). 

Closing Events of Our Lord's Life, the Great 
Forty Days, and Appearance of Christ after 
His Resurrection are so nearly in tabular form 
already that it is thought unnecessary to include 
them in the synopsis. 



Journeys of the Master 227 

Synopsis of Chapter XVI 
JOURNEYS OF THE MASTER — Concluded 



IV. THE THIRD YEAR OF CHRIST 's MINISTRY 



Journeys 
and 
Places 


Miracles 


Parables 


Discourses 


Miscellan- 
eousEvents 


Visit to 
Phoenicia 

(Matt. 
15:21-28; 

Mark 
7:24-30) 


Healing- of 
the Syro- 
phoenician 
woman's 
daughter 








Decapolis 


Healing- the 
deaf and 
dumb man 
(Mark 
7:32-35) 
Healing 
many sick 

(Matt. 
15:30, 31) 
Feeding- the 
four thou- 
sand (Matt. 

15:32-38; 
Mark 8:1-9) 








Bethsaida 
(Mark 
8:22) 


Healing- a 
blind man 
(Mark 
S:22-26) 


........ 




v 


Mt. 
Hermon 
(Matt. 
16:13) 


Healing- of 
the demoniac 
child (Matt. 
17:14-21; 

Luke 
9:37-42) 






Transfigu- 
ration 
(Mark 
9:2-10) 


Return to 
Galilee 
(Mark 
9:30) 




The un- 
merciful 
servant 
(Matt. 
18:23-35) 


Lesson on 
humility 
(Matt. 
18:1-5) 
Lesson on 
forgiveness 
(Matt. 
18:15) 




Jerusalem 
(John 
7:2-10) 


Healing the 
blind man 
(John9:l-41) 




John 7:14- 
46; 8:12-58; 
10:22, 31 


Adultress 
forgiven 
(John 
8:3-11) 



228 Historical Geography of the Bible 



Journeys 
and 
Places 


Miracles 


Parables 


Discourses 


Miscellan- 
eous jcj veins 


Retreat 
across the 
Jordan 
(John 
(10:40) 








Many be- 
lieve 


Bethany 


R-aising- of 
Lazarus 

(John 
11:1-44) 




, 




Retreat to 
Ephraim 
(John 
11:54 










Journey to 
Samaria 


Healing: the 
lepers (Luke 
17:12-14) 








Return to 
Jerusalem 




The g-ood 
Samaritan 

(Luke 
10:30-37) 






Bethany 

(Luke 
10:38-42) 






Lesson on 
importun- 
ity (Luke 
11:5-13) 


Jesus 
teaches his 
disciples to 
pray 

(Matt. 

6:9-13) 


Jerusalem 


Casting- out 
of the dumb 
spirit (Luke 
11:14) 


The rich 
fool (Luke 

12:16) 
The mus- 
tard-seed 

(Luke 
13:18, 19) 
The great 
supper 
(Luke 
14:16-24) 
The lost 
sheep and 
piece of sil- 
ver (Luke 
(15:1-10, 


Lesson on 
Humility 

(Luke 
14:7-11) 





Journeys of the Master 



229 



Journeys 
and 
Places 


Miracles 


Parables 


Discourses 


Miscellan- 
eousEvents 


Jerusalem 
(Con- 
cluded) 


Healing: a 
woman 
(Luke 
13:11-13) 

Healing" a 
man of drop- 
sy (Luke 
14:2) 


The prod- 
igral son 

(Luke 
15:11-32) 
The unjust 
steward 
(Luke 
16:1-12) 
The rich 
man and 
Lazarus 

(Luke 
16:19-31) 
The im- 
portunate 
widow 
(Luke 
18:1-8) 
The Phar- 
isee and the 
publican 

(Luke 
18:9-14) 
The rich 
young- man 

(LiUKe 

18:18-23) 
The la- 
borers in the 
vineyard 

(Matt. 
20:1-16) 
The pounds 

(Luke 
19:12-28) 






Jericho 
(Mat. 
20:29) 


Healing- of 
blind Bar- 
timseus 
(Mark 
10:46-52) 









230 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



CHAPTER X5VH 
JOURNEYS OF THE APOSTLES 



For the first seven years after the resurrec- 
tion and ascension of Christ, the labors of the 
apostles were confined to the city of Jerusalem 
and a few surrounding villages. The Christian 
church was composed entirely of Jews. During 
this time there was little, if any, thought that 
the gospel was intended for the Gentiles, and 
it seemed to have been the understanding of the 
apostles that the only door into the church was 
through Judaism, or the rites and ceremonies of 
the law. The disciples had either forgotten the 
instructions of their Lord to witness for him 
in Samaria and in the uttermost parts of the 
earth, or else the time had not yet come for the 
universal application of the gospel that was in- 
tended for all nations. Among the first to con- 
ceive of the wider intents of the gospel was 
Stephen. This tendency in him to admit the 
Gentiles to the grace of God occasioned great 
persecution, and he became the first martyr. On 
account of the persecution that arose, many of 
the disciples w)ere scattered abroad. At first 
they preached to the Jews only, but later they 
began to preach to the Gentiles. The period from 



Journeys of the Apostles 



231 



the death of Stephen, about A. D. 37, to the 
first missionary journey of the apostle Paul, 
A. D. 45, may be regarded as the period of the 
transition. During this time the apostles, 
through various means, were led to understand 
that the gospel was intended for all nations. 

In considering the geography at this period, 
we shall have to notice two provinces : Palestine 
in the south and Syria in the north. Syria at 
this time extended from Damascus in the south 
to Antioch, and was governed by a Roman pre- 
fect. Palestine about this time appeared under 
several forms of government, which changed in 
rapid succession. During the public life of 
Christ, Judea and Samaria were under the di- 
rect rule of Rome and were governed by pro- 
curators. In A. D. 41 Herod Augustus was 
made king of all Palestine (Acts 12). In A. D. 
44 he died, and his domains were divided. Ju- 
dea, Samaria, Galilee, and Perea again became 
procuratorships under a succession of Roman 
rulers and remained so until the final destruc- 
tion of Jerusalem: in A. D. 70. The events of 
this period— A. D. 37 to A. D. 45— are associ- 
ated principally with seven cities: Jerusalem, 
Samaria, Caesarea, Joppa, Damascus, Antioch, 
and Tarsus. 

The Journey of Philip (Acts 8 : 5-40) .—Philip 
was one of the seven men appointed by the 



232 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



apostles to oversee the financial affairs of the 
church at Jerusalem, and he was said to be a 
man full of the Holy Spirit and of wisdom. 
When the persecution on account of Stephen 
arose, he was compelled to leave Jerusalem. He 
went down to the city of Samaria, and began to 
preach Christ. 4 4 And the people with one accord 
gave heed unto those things wfcich Philip spake, 
hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. 9 9 
"And there was great joy in that city." This 
was one of the first steps toward breaking the 
narrow confines of Judaism, for the Jews looked 
upon the Samaritans as semi-Gentiles. After 
the planting of the church at Samaria, Philip 
was sent by the Spirit on a southward journey. 
On his way to Gaza he met the Ethiopian eunuch, 
whom he instructed in the gospel and baptized. 
Being then caught away from the eunuch by the 
Spirit, Philip is next found at Azotus, the an- 
cient Ashdod. He passed along the coast north- 
ward and "preached in all the cities till he came 
to Caesarea. ' ' These cities were inhabited most- 
ly by Gentiles, but there were doubtless among 
them some Jews. 

The Journey of Saul (Acts 9:1-30).— "As 
for Saul, he made havoc of the church, enter- 
ing into every house, and haling men and wom- 
en, committed them to prison ' ' (Acts 8:3). Not 
content with persecuting them at Jerusalem 



Journeys of the Apostles 



233 



only, he i ' went unto the high priest, and desired 
of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, 
that if he found any of this way, whether they 
were men or women, he might bring them bound 
unto Jerusalem" (Acts 9:1, 2). While on his 
way to Damascus with a commission from the 
high priest to persecute the people of G-od, he 
was suddenly overwhelmed with a light from 
heaven, brighter than that of the sun, and he 
himself became converted to the religion he had 
so bitterly hated, and became one among the 
people he had so cruelly persecuted. He started 
to Damascus to bind others and arrived there 
bound himself with the chain of the gospel. 

He had not long accepted the gospel of Christ 
until he became the object of as bitter perse- 
cution as that which he had inflicted on others. 
From Damascus he went into Arabia. Of what 
places he visited there we are not informed. 
After three years he returned to Damascus, 
from which place he was compelled to escape by 
being let down over the wall in a basket. He 
then returned to Jerusalem, where he was in- 
troduced by Barnabas and received by the apos- 
tles James and John. At Jerusalem he received 
a vision (Acts 22:17-21), in which the Lord 
said to him, "Depart: for I will send thee far 
hence unto the Gentiles." After staying about 
two weeks at Jerusalem, he went to the seaport 



234 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



town of Cfeesarea, where lie was destined to be 
imprisoned in after-years. He sailed to his 
native home and birthplace, Tarsus in Cilicia. 
In this he exhibited a desire that seizes most of 
us at our conversion; namely, the desire to go 
and tell those of our own household what won- 
derful things the Lord has done for us. 

The Journey of Peter.— " And it came to pass, 
as Peter passed throughout all quarters, he came 
down also to the saints which dwelt in Lydda" 
(Acts 9:32). On this famous journey of the 
apostle Peter, the door of faith was effectually 
opened to the Gentiles, and since that day it has 
never been closed. 

After the conversion of Saul the church had 
rest for a while from the persecutions of the 
Jews, whose leaders were too busv with the 
alarming state of their political relations with 
Rome to further persecute the followers of Je- 
sus. Taking advantage of this opportunity, 
Peter went to visit the churches. On his tour 
he visited Lydda, a town on the border of the 
Shefelah, and there performed the notable mir- 
acle recorded in Acts 9 : 33, 34, the result of 
which was that "all that dwelt at Lydda and 
Saron saw him, and turned to the Lord" (Acts 
9:35). While Peter was at Lydda, Dorcas, a 
woman of Joppa and full of good works and 
alms-deeds, died. "And forasmuch as Lydda 



Journeys of the Apostles 



235 



was nigh to Joppa, and the disciples had heard 
that Peter was there, they sent unto him two 
men, desiring him that he would not delay to 
come to them." Here Peter wrought the nota- 
ble miracle of raising Diorcate to life again;. 
"And it was known throughout all Joppa; and 
many believed in the Lord. And it came to pass, 
that he tarried many days in Joppa with one 
Simon a tanner" (Acts 9:42, 43). 

From Joppa, after receiving the vision of the 
sheet let down from heaven, Peter w]as called 
to Caesarea by the Roman centurion, Cornelius, 
who, with all his house, accepted Christ and was 
filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 10). This 
marked an epoch in the history of the Christian 
church. This man was a Roman and a cen- 
turion, and was in nowise related to the Jewish 
commonwealth and religion. For this reason 
Peter was called to give an account of the affair 
on his return to Jerusalem, to which place he 
next went. 

Journeys of Barnabas (Acts 11:19-30).— 
"Now they which were scattered abroad upon 
the persecution that arose about Stephen trav- 
eled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, 
preaching the word to none but unto the Jews 
only" (Acts 11: 19). When the apostles at Je- 
rusalem heard of the progress of the work at 
Antioch and the cities along the coast, they de- 



236 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



termined to send Barnabas as far as Antioch to 
strengthen and to help the churches, and prob- 
ably to see that the young congregations were 
started in the right way; ' ' and much people was 
added to the Lord." 

We are told that the disciples were first called 
Christians at Antioch. This may have resulted 
from the fact that the Jews and the Gentiles 
there first became associated in one body of 
Christ. They could be called neither Jews nor 
Gentiles ; hence they were called Christians. 

After spending some time at Antioch, Barna- 
bas, doubtless feeling the need of a coworker, 
sailed across the northeastern corner of the 
Mediterranean to Tarsus, where he met Saul. 
Thenceforth these two men of God were united 
in labors for many years, but were finally parted 
by an unhappy difference. 

The Journeys of Saul and Barnabas (Acts 11 : 
26-30).— When Barnabas met with Saul, the 
two returned to Antioch, where they labored 
with the church for one whole year and taught 
many people. A prophet that came from Jeru- 
salem told the church at Antioch of a coming 
famine, and they prepared a contribution for the 
poor saints of Judea and sent it by the hands 
of Saul and Barnabas. Later, Saul and Barna- 
bas returned to Antioch from their charitable 
errand, and remained there until Saul was ready 
for his famous missionary journeys. 



Missionary Journeys of the Apostle Paul 



237 



CHAPTER XVIII 

THE MISSIONARY JOURNEYS OF THE 
APOSTLE PAUL 

The missionary journeys of the apostle Paul 
are among the most interesting subjects of Bible 
history and geography. In importance, they 
are second only to the life of Christ. There are 
three great missionary journeys of the apostle 
Paul, besides his visit to Jerusalem and his voy- 
age to Rome. Before beginning the study of 
this chapter you should review: Chapter VI: 
Geography of the New Testament World. If 
you have not done so, you must now fix in your 
mind especially the locations of the several prov- 
inces and islands, for without a thorough knowl- 
edge of these you can not well comprehend the 
extended journeys of the apostle. In Chapter 
VI we had all the important cities of the New 
Testament World, but it will now be necessary 
for us to locate many other cities. To make 
the locations of the cities visited by Paul in his 
missionary journeys easy, the following table 
has been prepared. 



238 Historical Geography of the Bible 



PAUL'S FIRST MISSIONARY JOURNEY 



^/Uun try 


Province 


City 




Syria 




Started from 






Antioch 

OcvJLlcU. Ia will 

Seleucia 








Salamis 


Cyprus 


Asia Minor 




Paphos 


Pamphylia 
Pisidia 


Perga 
Antioch 






Lycaonia 


Iconium 






Lystra 
Derbe 
Returned via 

Lystra 
Iconium 






Pisidia 


Antioch 






Pamphylia 


Perg-a 
Attalia 




Syria 




to 






Antioch 




PAUL'S SECOND MISSIONARY 




JOURNEY 




Country 


Province 


City 


Island 






Started from 




Syria 




Antioch 






Towns to the 




Asia Minor 


Cilicia 


north 






Lycaonia 


Derbe 






Lystra 
Iconium 






Phrygia 








Galatia 








Mysia 


Troas 








Samothracia 


Macedonia 




Neapolis 

Philippi 

Amphipolis 

Appollonia 

Thessalonica 

Berea 




Greece 




Athens 
Corinth 
Cenchrea 
Returned via 




Asia Minor 


Lydia 


Ephesus 




Palestine 


Csesarea 
Jerusalem 
to 




Syria 




Antioch 





Missionary Journeys of the Apostle Paul 239 



PAUL'S THIRD MISSIONARY JOURNEY 



C!nim trv 

V/V/LXXXIX J 


Prnvinpp 


City 


Island 






Started from 




Syria 




Antioch 




Asia Minor 


Galatia 






Phrygia 








Lydia 


Ephesus 




Macedonia 






Greece 




Returned via 








Ph ill T">T>1 




Asia Minor 
« «« 


Mysia 


Troas 




Assos 








Mitylene 


Lesbos 






Chios 
Sam os 


Asia Minor 


Caria 


Trog-ylium 




«« «* 


Miletus 


Coos 
Rhodes 


Asia Minor 


Lycia 


Patara 




Phoenicia 


Tyre 






Ptolemais 




Palestine 




Csesarea 
Jerusalem 





VOYAGE TO ROME 



Country 


Province 


City 


Island 






Sailed from 




Palestine 




Csesarea 




Phoenicia 




Sidon 






L.ycia 
Caria 




Cyprus 


Asia Minor 


Myra 
(Cnidus) 






Salmone 


Crete 

Clauda 
Melita 






Fair Havens 


Sicily 




Syracuse 




Italy 
<< 




Rhegium 






Puteoli 




it 




Apii Forum 




** . 
*t 




Three Taverns 
Rome 





240 



Historical Geography of tJi€ Bible 



After the return of Paul and Barnabas from 
their charitable errand to Jerusalem, they re- 
mained at Antioch for some time. The congre- 
gation at Antioch had now become a strong and 
prosperous body of Christians, and like every 
other spiritual church, was pregnant with the 
thought of evangelizing the world. "As they 
ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy 
Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for 
the work whereunto I have called them. And 
when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their 
hands on them, they sent them away" (Acts 
13:2,3). 

THE FIRST MISSIONARY JOURNEY 
A. D. 45-49 

Read Acts 13 : 14. With John Mark as their 
assistant, Paul and Barnabas started on their 
first missionary journey from Antioch, the me- 
tropolis of Syria. 

Seleucia (Acts 13:4) was their first station 
after leaving Antioch. It was the seaport of 
Antioch, sixteen miles from the city. 

Cyprus. — Setting sail from Seleucia, they 
crossed the ami of the Mediterranean and came 
to Cyprus (Acts 13: 4-13), an island sixty miles 
west of Syria and forty miles south of Asia 
Minor. The island is supposed to have been the 
early home of Barnabas. It was probably thick- 



Missionary Journeys of the Apostle Paul 



243 



ly inhabited, and was governed by a Roman pro- 
consul. 

Salamis (Acts 13 : 5).— Their first stop was 
at Salamis, a place on the eastern shore of the 
island. Here they found a Jewish synagogue 
and began preaching the word of God. 

Paphos (Acts 13: 6).— Continuing their .jour- 
ney westward through the island, they came to 
Paphos, a western seaport town of Cyprus. 
Here they found Bar-jesus, a sorcerer and false 
prophet, who was with the deputy of the coun- 
try, Sergius Paulus. The deputy was a prudent 
man, and he called for Barnabas and Saul and 
desired to hear the word of God. They began 
to preach to him, but Elymas withstood them 
and sought to turn away the deputy from the 
faith of the Lord. Paul, filled with the Holy 
Ghost, cursed the sorcerer with blindness. When 
the deputy saw this, he was astonished at the 
doctrine of the Lord, and believed on him. 

Perga (Acts 13 : 13).— Loosing from Paphos, 
they sailed in a northwesterly direction about 
one hundred and seventy miles, to Perga, a city 
in the province of Pamphylia in Asia Minor, 
about seven and one-half miles from' the sea. 
Here John Mark gave up his journey and re- 
turned to Jerusalem. 

Antioch in Pisidia (Acts 13: 14-52).— This 
Antioch should be carefully distinguished from 



244 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



the Antioch in Syria. It was east of Ephesus 
and northwest of Tarsus. Here again, as their 
custom was, Paul and Barnabas went into the 
synagogue on the Sabbath-day. After reading 
the law and the prophets, the ruler of the syna- 
gogue invited the apostles to speak ; whereupon 
Paul rose and preached the discourse recorded 
in Acts 13 : 16-41. On the next Sabbath they 
again spoke to the people. This time the whole 
city gathered to hear the word of God. Because 
of this the Jews became envious. Paul and 
Barnabas waxed bold and rebuked the envious 
and unbelieving Jews and declared that they 
would turn to the Gentiles. The Gentiles heard 
this and were glad. The word of the Lord was 
published throughout all that region. The Jews 
then stirred up the people, and persecution broke 
out against the apostles, causing them to be ex- 
pelled from the country. 

Iconium.— Shaking off the dust of their feet 
for a testimony against their persecutors, the 
apostles continued their journey and came to 
Iconium. Here again they entered into the 
synagogue of the Jews and preached the word of 
God. A great number both of the Jews and of 
the Gentiles believed. The unbelieving Jews 
again stirred up the minds of the people against 
the apostles, so that they were compelled to flee 
from the city to avoid being stoned by the Jews 
and the rulers (Acts 14: 1-5). 



Missionary Journeys of the Apostle Paul 



245 



Lystra.—The apostles took a southward 
course to Lystra, a heathen city in Lycaonia 
(Acts 14:6). For some time they were per- 
mitted to labor and preach the gospel. Here an 
impotent man, who had been a cripple from his 
mother's womb and had never walked, was 
healed. On account of this the citizens sought 
to worship Paul and Barnabas under the names 
of their heathen deities, Jupiter and Mercurius. 
The apostles with great effort restrained them 
from this, saying, "We also are men of like pas- 
sions with you, and preach unto you that ye 
should turn from these vanities unto the living 
God." To Lystra also the apostles were fol- 
lowed by their relentless foes, the Jews, who 
came up from Antioch and Iconium and soon 
succeeded in turning the people against the apos- 
tles. They stoned Paul and dragged him out 
of the city, supposing him to be dead; but as 
the disciples stood round him, he rose and came 
into the city, and the next day he departed with 
Barnabas. 

Derbe (Acts 14:20, 21).— The apostles now 
went to Derbe, a city twenty miles from Lystra 
in the same province. This place marked the 
turning-point in their journey. They now re- 
traced their steps, visiting Lystra, Iconium, and 
Antioch, and confirming the souls of the disciples 
that they might stand fast in the Lord. After 



246 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



ordaining elders in every city and commending 
them to the Lord, they passed through Pisidia 
and came to Pamphylia. 

Att alia.— After preaching for some time in 
Perga, they came to Attalia, a seaport town six- 
teen miles from Perga. Here they took ship and 
sailed for Syria. 

Antioch.— When they reached home again, 
they were gladly received by the church. They 
declared all things that God had done for them 
on their journey, and especially that the door of 
faith had been opened to the Gentiles. After 
this the apostles for a long time labored with 
the church at Antioch. 

The Council at Jerusalem.— Following the 
first missionary journey, it was natural for Paul 
to visit Jerusalem and consult the church there 
in regard to certain questions that had arisen 
about the relation of the Gentile believers to the 
law of Moses. (Read Acts 15 : 1-29 ; Galatians 2.) 

THE SECOND MISSIONARY JOURNEY 
A. D. 50-54 

Eead Acts 15:36-18:22. The second mis- 
sionary journey was through Asia Minor, Mace- 
donia, and Greece. 

After spending some time at Antioch teaching 
and preaching the word of God, Paul proposed 



Missionary Journeys of the Apostle Paul 249 



to Barnabas that they go again and visit the 
brethren in every city where they had before 
preached the word of God. Barnabas was de- 
termined to take with him on this trip John 
Mark, who before had forsaken them ; but Paul 
was opposed to taking with them a man that was 
likely to forsake them at a critical moment. This 
caused a contention between Paul and Barnabas. 
So on the second missionary tour Barnabas did 
not accompany Paul. Barnabas took Mark and 
sailed to Cyprus ; and Paul chose Silas, who w!as 
recommended by the brethren, to accompany 
him on this journey. 

Syria.-- Starting from Antioch, Paul first 
traveled throughout Syria visiting the churches. 
This journey was probably through northern 
Syria only, the general direction being toward 
Asia Minor. 

Cilicia (Acts 15 : 41). — From Syria, Paul went 
to the province of Cilicia, probably visiting Tar- 
sus, his birthplace. 

Derbe and Lystra (Acts 16 : 1) .—The next sta- 
tions were Derbe and Lystra, places visited by 
Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary 
tour. Here Paul found Timotheus, who had 
good report of the brethren at Lystra and Ico- 
nium. 

Phrygia (Acts 16:6).— We next read of 
Paul's having gone throughout the region of 



250 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



Phiygia. This probably refers to a tour among 
the churches of Iconiuni, Antioch, and Phrygia, 
where he and Barnabas had formerly labored. 
We have no record of any discourse delivered 
on this tour. Doubtless their principal object 
was to deliver to the several churches the decree 
ordained by the apostles and elders at Jeru- 
salem. 

Gal at ia-. — They next turned northward and for 
the first time entered the province of Galatia 
(Acts 16:6). It was Paul's desire to preach 
the Word throughout the Roman provinces of 
Asia, which comprised Phrygia, and the north- 
ern districts of Mysia, of Lydia, and of Caria; 
but they were forbidden by the Holy Ghost to 
preach the Word in Asia at this time. 

Mysia. — Taking a westward course, they came 
to Mysia and thought to go northward into Bi- 
thynia, on the southern shore of the Black 
Sea, but were again forbidden by the Spirit to 
go the route they had mapped out. 

Troas.— Forbidden by the Lord to enter 
Bithynia, they took a westward course through 
Mysia and came to Troas, a port on the Aegean 
Sea. Here Paul had a vision, in which a man of 
Macedonia said, ' 6 Come over into Macedonia 
and help us." 

Samothracia. — This vision Paul understood to 
be a call from the Lord to preach the gospel in 



Missionary Journeys of the Apostle Paul 



251 



Macedonia. ' 1 Therefore loosing from Troas, wte 
came with a straight course to Samothracia 9 9 
(Acts 16: 11, 12). Samothracia, by which Paul 
passed on his voyage, is a small island in the 
Aegean Sea off the coast of Thrace. 

Neapolis was the seaport town of Macedonia, 
where Paul and his company first landed. Mace- 
donia was the province north of Greece and 
famed in history from the conquests of King 
Philip and his illustrious son, Alexander the 
Great. Paul and Silas must have felt honored 
of the Lord for having been privileged to carry 
the gospel of the kingdom of God to the country 
of him (Alexander) who had all but conquered 
the world; for the kingdom that they repre- 
sented was not to almost, but altogether, conquer 
the entire world. The gospel had not yet been 
preached in Europe. The apostles did not stop 
at Neapolis, but continued on to Philippi. 

Philippi was an ancient town a few miles in- 
land. It had been named by Philip after him- 
self. Here the conversion and baptism of Lydia, 
the first European convert, took place. A church 
was planted, but finally Paul and Silas were 
scourged and imprisoned. They were set free 
by an angel of the Lord through an earthquake. 
The result of this manifestation of the power of 
God was the conversion of the jailor. 

Amphipolis (Acts 17: 1), a town thirty-three 



252 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



miles southwest of Philippi and three miles from 
the Aegean Sea, was the next stopping-point. 
We infer from Acts 17 : 1 that there was no 
Jewish synagogue in the city. It was doubtless 
for this reason that the apostles journeyed on, 
they finding no convenient place to preach. 

Appollonia (Acts 17 : 1) was thirty miles from 
Amphipolis. Here, as in Amphipolis, the apos- 
tle found no Jewish synagogue, and for some 
reason stayed only a short time. 

Thessalonica (Acts 17 : 1-9).— Here Paul and 
Silas found a Jewish synagogue. They preached 
three Sabbath-days, reasoning with the people 
from the Scriptures, openly preaching the death 
and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Many of the 
devout Greeks believed on the Lord; but as 
usual, the success of the gospel aroused the 
enmity of the Jews, and they gathered together 
a mob of the lower class and incited them by 
saying that the apostles had acted contrary to 
law, affirming that there was a Mng other than 
Caesar. After due consideration the brethren 
thought best to send Paul and Silas away to 
avoid further disturbance. 

Berea (Acts 17: 10-13). -The small city of 
Berea was probably chosen by the apostle on 
account of its retired situation. As usual, Paul 
entered into the synagogue of the Jews, and 
began preaching. The Bereans received the 



Missionary Journeys of the Apostle Paul 253 



Word with readiness, and searched the Scrip- 
tures daily. The people of Berea have thus 
left to all generations an example of studious- 
ness and earnestness in searching the Word of 
God. 

Athens (Acts 17: 15-34).— The relentless Jews 
having followed Panl from Thessalonica to 
Berea, the brethren immediately sent him away. 
He went by sea to Athens. He immediately sent 
word to Silas and Timotheus, who had stayed at 
Berea, to come with all speed and join him. 
While waiting for their arrival, Paul was stirred 
at the gross idolatry of the city. He constantly 
reasoned with the Jews and the devout persons 
in the market-places. He also encountered cer- 
tain philosophers, who invited him to speak in 
the Areopagus, a place on Mars Hill, and the 
highest point in Athens. These men asked them- 
selves, "What will this babbler say?" Like the 
other Athenians, they spent all their time either 
in hearing or telling something new. Paul ac- 
cepted their invitation and delivered the dis- 
course recorded in Acts 17 : 22-31, which stands 
among the best examples, if indeed it is not the 
very best example, of sacred oratory. 

Corinth (Acts 18: 1-18).— The next station at 
Which the apostles stopped was Corinth, forty 
miles west of Athens, on the isthmus between 
Hellas and Peloponnesus. Corinth was at this 



254 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



time the metropolis of Greece and the residence 
of the Roman proconsul. Here Paul preached 
for a year and a half, and worked for a while 
at his trade as tent-maker. It was during this 
stay at Corinth that he wrote his two epistles 
to the Thessalonians. 

Cenchrea (Acts 18: 18). — Cenchrea is merely 
mentioned as the place from which Paul set 
forth on his return journey. It is evident, how- 
ever, that he or some other Christian minister 
had planted a church here ; for in Eom. 16 : 1 we 
read of Phebe, who was a servant of the church 
at Cenchrea. It is supposed to have been the 
eastern harbor of Corinth, about nine miles 
from that city. 

Ephesus. — Setting sail from Cenchrea, the 
apostle sailed eastward across the Aegean Sea, 
and after a voyage of about two hundred and 
fifty miles reached Ephesus (Acts 18:19-21). 
He stayed at Ephesus but a short time, though 
the people desired him to tarry longer with 
them. Having a great desire to attend the com- 
ing feast at Jerusalem and promising that if 
G-od willed he would return to them, he set sail 
from Ephesus. 

Caesarea (Acts 18 : 22).— After a voyage of 
about six hundred miles, in which he passed 
around the southwestern border of Asia Minor, 
past the islands Rhodes and Cyprus, he landed 



Missionary Journeys of the Apostle Paul 



255 



at Caesarea, on the western coast of Palestine. 

J erusalem ( Acts 18:22).— For the fourth 
time since his conversion the apostle entered the 
Holy Land and the city of Jerusalem. He stayed 
only a short time, to salute the church and per- 
haps to leave the gifts of the Gentile Christians 
to the poorer saints of Judea; then he set out 
once more for Antioch. 

Antioch.— From Jerusalem he probably went 
overland to Antioch. It is likely that he took 
with him not only Silas, who had accompanied 
him since the beginning of his second missionary 
journey, but also Timotheus. This ended the 
second missionary journey of the apostle Paul. 



256 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



CHAPTER XIX 

THIRD MISSIONARY JOURNEY OF 
PAUL 

HIS VOYAGE TO ROME AND HIS LAST 
JOURNEY 



THE THIRD MISSIONARY JOURNEY 
A. D. 54-58 

Antioch. — It was from this place that the 
apostle started on each of his three great mis- 
sionary journeys. 

Galatia (Acts 18 : 23).— After spending some 
time at Antioch, Paul again departed and went 
over a part of Asia Minor strengthening the dis- 
ciples. The places visited in Asia Minor on this 
journey are not definitely knowtn. There are 
two probable routes, either of which the apos- 
tle may have taken from Antioch to Ephesus. 
Both routes are marked on Map H. 

Ephesus (Acts 19:1). — One author has said 
that Ephesus may be regarded as the third cap- 
ital of Christianity, Jerusalem having been its 
birthplace and Antioch the center of its foreign 
missions. Paul remained at Ephesus this time 
for nearly three years. It was at this time that 



Missionary Journeys of the Apostle Paul 



259 



Paul "disputed" daily in the school of Tyran- 
nus. This disputation continued for about two 
years, so that "all Asia" heard the word of the 
Lord, both the Jews and the Greeks. It was 
here that the Lord wrought special miracles by 
the hand of Paul (Acts 19:12). So mightily 
grew the word of God that many who had been 
practising magical arts brought their books to- 
gether and burned them publicly. The price of 
the books burned was counted and found to be 
fifty thousand pieces of silver. This amount is 
thought by some to be about $9,000 ; others, who 
consider the "pieces of silver" to be the Jewish 
shekel, estimate that the books were worth more 
than $34,000. After the church had been fully 
established and the gospel planted at Ephesus, 
Paul planned to go through Macedonia and 
Achaia, then to Jerusalem, and afterward to 
Rome. It is interesting to note that at Ephesus 
Paul for the first time separated the Christians 
from the Jewish synagogues. 

Troas (2 Cor. 2:12, 13).— On this visit to 
Troas, Paul expected to n^eet his companion 
Titus with news from the church at Corinth, but 
was disappointed. Waiting some time for the 
expected news, Paul again took ship and sailed 
once more from Asia to Europe. 

Macedonia (Acts 20:2, 3).— We are not told 
what places he visited in Macedonia at this time ; 



260 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



but we may infer that he visited Philippi, Thes- 
salonica, Berea, and places of his former labors. 
It was probably while in Macedonia that he 
wrote the two Epistles to the Corinthians. 

Greece (Acts 20: 2). -We read, "And when 
he had gone over those parts [Macedonia], and 
had given them much exhortation, he came into 
Greece." 

Philippi (Acts 20: 2-6).— Paul was now ready 
to start on his homeward journey; but for some 
reason, probably on account of the plotting of 
the Jews to kill him, he did not take a direct 
route, but went around the Aegean Sea by way 
of Philippi and Troas. From Corinth, where 
with all probability he had spent some time while 
in Greece, he chose to go overland to Philippi. 
This was now the third time that Paul visited 
Philippi. Here he was joined by Luke, the evan- 
gelist, who ever after was his companion in 
labor. 

Troas.^- From Philippi the company sailed 
across the Aegean Sea to Troas, where they 
remained seven days. A part of the company 
had preceded Paul and Luke. Paul chose to 
go on foot as far as Assos, a distance of nineteen 
miles, where he was taken on board with the 
rest of the company. It was while at Troas that 
Paul preached until midnight and Eutychus, 



Missionary Journeys of the Apostle Paid 



261 



having fallen asleep, fell down from the third 
story and was taken up dead. 

Mitylene.—Here they anchored for the night, 
probably because the channel was not easy to 
follow among the islands (Acts 20: 14). 

Chios (Acts 20:15).— This place was barely 
touched, and they then sailed across to the 
shores of Asia Minor. 

Samos (Acts 20:15).— Here they probably 
anchored again for the night. 

Trogyllium (Acts 20: 15), a place on the coast 
of Asia Minor at the foot of Mt. Mycale. This 
place is still called St. Paul's Port. They sailed 
past the harbor of Ephesus without stopping. 

Miletus (Acts 20: 16-38).— Here the ship was 
delayed for a time. TaMng advantage of the op- 
portunity thus afforded, Paul sent for the elders 
of the church at Ephesus and gave them a fare- 
well address and his fatherly advice and counsel. 

Coos (Acts 21: 1) was the next stopping-place 
for the ship. 

Rhodes (Acts 21: 1).— At this island they did 
not stop long. 

Patara (Acts 21 : 1) was a seaport in the prov- 
ince of Lycia in Asia Minor opposite Rhodes. 
Here the vessel in which the apostolic company 
were sailing came to the end of its voyage. 1 ' And 



262 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



finding a ship sailing over unto Phoenicia, we 
went aboard and set forth" (Acts 21 : 2) . 

Tyre.— Passing by Cyprus, they paused for 
seven days for the vessel to unload its burden. 
Here Paul found a body of Christians, planted 
probably by Philip, the evangelist. At this place 
Paul was warned against going up to Jerusalem. 
When he and his companions were ready to 
leave, the brethren accompanied them to the 
shore to bid them adieu. 

Ptolemais. — Taking ship from Tyre, they 
sailed to Ptolemais, where they saluted the 
brethren and stopped for a day. 

Caesarea.— At this station they entered the 
house of Philip, who years before had been 
driven out of Jerusalem by Saul of Tarsus. 
What a happy meeting of Paul and Philip this 
must have been! Here again Paul received 
warning from the prophet Agabus not to go up 
to Jerusalem. 

Jerusalem.— Paul was stedfast in his deter- 
mination to see the holy city again, and for the 
fifth time since his conversion and for the last 
time in his life Paul entered Jerusalem, from 
which soon afterward he was carried as a 
prisoner. 



Missionary Journeys of the Apostle Paul 



265 



VOYAGE TO ROME 

True to the prediction of the prophet Agabus, 
Paul was seized by a Jewish mob at Jerusalem ; 
and but for his rescue by Soman soldiers, he 
would have been killed. From this time on, the 
life of St. Paul was spent as a prisoner. The 
Roman officer in charge of the tower where Paul 
was imprisoned, being informed that the Jews 
had formed a plot to kill Paul, sent him away 
by night under a strong escort to Felix, the Ro- 
man governor, at Caesarea. 

Antipatris (Acts 23:31, 32).— Beyond this 
place the soldiers were not needed ; so they re- 
turned, and Paul journeyed the rest of the way, 
twenty-six miles, under the escort of the cavalry. 

Caesar ea (Acts 23: 33).— Here Paul remained 
in prison for more than two years, was tried by 
Felix, and made his memorable defense before 
young Herod Agrippa (Acts 24-26), Being a 
Roman citizen, he appealed to Caesar and to the 
supreme court of Rom,e. He was then put on 
board a ship with a company of prisoners under 
the care of Julius, the centurion of Augustus' 
band. Luke and Aristarchus were with Paul on 
this voyage. 

Sidon (Acts 27: 3).— Here the vessel touched 
the next day after it had left Caesarea, and Paul 
was permitted to go ashore with a soldier to 
whom he was chained. 



266 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



Myra.— After leaving Sidon, the vessel was 
carried by contrary winds to the north of Cy- 
prus; so Paul was again sailing in the waters 
through which he had passed many times (Acts 
27 : 4-6). At Myra, in Lycia, the prisoners were 
transferred to another vessel. 

Crete. — The next port was to have been Cni- 
dus, on the coast of Caria one hundred miles 
from Myra; but on account of unfavorable 
weather the vessel was unable to enter, so turned 
southward to the island of Crete. Rounding 
Cape Salmone, the eastern end of the island, 
they entered at a place on the southern coast, 
known as Fair Havens. Here they remained for 
some time, and Paul exhorted them to remain 
there until the winter was over (Acts 27 : 9, 10). 
But the master of the ship and the majority of 
those on board, however, favored the attempt to 
make the haven of Phenice (Acts 27: 12) before 
going into winter quarters. Loosing, therefore, 
from Fair Havens, they sailed close by Crete. 
Soon the Euroclydon winds arose and the ship 
was driven near an island called Clauda, where 
the ship had to undergo some repairs before 
again putting to sea. A heavy tempest tossed 
them for many days and they were finally ship- 
wrecked. 

Melita.— After being shipwrecked they suc- 
ceeded in gaining the shore, whereupon they 



Missionary Journeys of the Apostle Paul 



267 



learned that they were on the island of Melita, 
now called Malta. It is about sixty-two miles 
south of Sicily. The place wthere Paul is sup- 
posed to have been shipwrecked is on the north- 
eastern side of the island. At Malta Paul was 
entertained by the chief man of the island (Acts 
28:7). 

Syracuse (Acts 28: 12).— After spending the 
winter on the island of Mfelita, Paul and the 
other prisoners were placed on board another 
ship bound for Borne. The first stopping-place 
on this part of the voyage was Syracuse, on the 
eastern shore of Sicily, where they stayed three 
days. 

Rhegium (Acts 28:13).— Here the ship 
stopped a day, awaiting a favorable wind. 

Puteoli was one of the chief ports of Italy. 
Here the vessel ended its voyage, and Paul and 
his fellow-prisoners disembarked. Paul found a 
Christian church, and he w , as permitted to re- 
main a week before going to Rome, which was 
now only one hundred and forty-one miles dis- 
tant. 

Appii Forum.— At this place, and again at 
Three Taverns, Paul was met by Christian 
brethren who had heard of his coming and had 
come to give him welcome and to bid him to be 
of good cheer. 



268 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



Rome.— Arriving at last at the imperial city, 
Paul was delivered to the captain of the guard, 
but was allowed to dwell in his own house with 
a guard. 

THE LAST JOURNEY OF THE APOSTLE 

PAUL 

The recorded history of the life of the apos- 
tle Paul ends with the last chapter of the Acts 
of the Apostles. The history of his life after his 
arrival at Rome is founded only on tradition and 
conjecture, with the exception of a few facts that 
may be gleaned from his later writings. From 
his writings to the Philippians and to Philemon 
it is evident that he expected an acquital and re- 
lease after his trial at Rome; and from First 
Timothy and Titus it would seem that after his 
imprisonment he had at least two years of lib- 
erty. 

From tradition and from what may be gleaned 
from Paul's writings, the following outline of 
the remainder of his life has been conjectured. 

1. Near the close of Paul's imprisonment 
(Phil. 1:22) he was expecting to visit the 
churches of Proconsular Asia, especially the 
church at Colosse, and therefore he desired Phi- 
lemon to prepare for them a lodging. 



Missionary Journeys of the Apostle Paul 



269 



2. Just prior to his release, the apostle sent 
Timothy to Philippi, expecting soon to follow 
him (Phil. 2 : 19-24) . This hope of the apostle's, 
it would seem, was realized; for we may infer 
from 1 Tim. 1 : 3 that Paul and Timothy had 
gone to Ephesus, where Timothy was left in 
charge of the church while Paul went to Mace- 
donia. 

3. It is supposed that at this time he also 
visited Crete (Tit. 1:5). 

4. We find Paul at Nicopolis, a place not pre- 
viously mentioned in the history of the journevs 
of Paul (Tit. 3:12). 

5. From 2 Tim. 4 : 13 it is evident that Paul 
passed through Troas and stopped with a man 
named Carpus, in whose care he left his mantle 
and some manuscripts. Farrar is of the opinion 
that Paul was here arrested and taken away in 
such haste that he could not obtain these articles. 

6. In 2 Tim. 4 : 20 we have a text that shows 
that Paul visited another place, Miletus, prob- 
ably as a prisoner. Slight confirmation of this 
view, is found in a tradition that there is among 
the ruins of Ephesus a place pointed out as the 
prison of Paul. 

7. From Ephesus he may have set sail once 
more as a prisoner for Eome. At Rome his im- 
prisonment was short and his friends were few, 



270 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



for by this time the church had been scattered 
by the terrible persecutions of Nero. He there- 
fore wrote, urging Timothy to hasten to him 
and to bring with him Mark. Tradition tells 
us that he was finally beheaded three miles from 
Rome. 




MEDITERRANEAN 



SEA 



The Seven Churches of Asia 



273 



CHAPTER XX 



THE SEVEN CHURCHES OF ASIA 

Near the close of the first century of the 
Christian era the apostle John was banished 
by the emperor Domitian to Patmos, a small and 
barren island twenty-four miles west of the 
shores of Asia Minor, twenty miles south of the 
island of Samos, and about seventy miles south- 
west of Ephesus. The island is about twenty 
miles in circumference and is rocky and desolate. 
Its loneliness and seclusion made it a fitting 
place for the banishment of criminals. While in 
exile on this island the apostle John received the 
vision of the Apocalypse. "I was in the Spirit 
on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great 
voice, as of a trumpet, saying, I am Alpha and 
Oinega, the first and the last : and, what thou 
seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven 
churches which are in Asia ; unto Ephesus, and 
unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto 
Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadel- 
phia, and unto Laodicea" (Eev. 1: 10, 11). 

Before locating the seven churches of Asia 
it will be necessary to note the varied meaning 
of the word "Asia." 

The ancients had no divisions of the world 
into parts as we have today; hence the word 



274 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



1 i Asia," in the extended modern sense, does not 
occur in Scripture. Indeed, it does not at all 
occur in any sense in the Hebrew Scriptures, 
but is found in the books of the Maccabees and 
in the New Testament. It there applies, in the 
largest sense, to that peninsular portion of Asia 
which, since the fifth century, has been known as 
Asia Minor ; and, in a narrower sense, to a cer- 
tain portion thereof known as Asia Proper. 

Thus it is now generally agreed, first, that 
Asia in some texts (Acts 19 : 26, 27 ; 20 : 4 ; 27 : 2) 
denoted the whole of Asia Minor ; secondly, that 
only Asia Proper, the Roman or Proconsular 
Asia, is denoted in other texts (Acts 2:9; 6:9; 

2 Tim. 1:15; E^v. 1:4, 11). 

The location of the cities in which were the 
seven churches of Asia we will follow in order 
as given in the Bible— Ephesus, Smyrna, Per- 
gamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and 
Laodicea. This is the most natural order; for 
starting at Ephesus, one could go north to 
Smyrna and Pergamos, then turning southward, 
to Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea, 
forming with the journey a horseshoe, the east- 
ern side of which is the longer. 

Ephesus (Rev. 2 :1) was the capital of the 
province of Lydia and the most important of the 
seven cities. Its church was the largest, and it 
was addressed first probably on account of its 



The Seven Churches of Asia 



275 



size and importance, or probably on account of 
its being nearest to Patmos; and therefore a 
carrier, taking the message to the seven 
churches, would most naturally visit Ephesus 
first. It is thought that the apostle John spent 
the closing years of his life at this place. 

Smyrna (Rev. 2:8) is about forty miles north 
of Ephesus, also on the Aegean Seacoast. Un- 
like the other cities mentioned in the Revelation, 
Smyrna has endured the test of time and is to- 
day one of the largest cities on the Asiatic side 
of the Aegean Sea, having a population of near- 
ly two hundred thousand people. The modern 
city, however, is about two miles from the an- 
cient site. 

Pergamos (Rev. 2: 12), or Pergamum, about 
fifty miles northeast of Smyrna and twenty 
miles from the Aegean Sea, is said to have once 
been the most splendid city of Asia Minor. Its 
most interesting features today are its ruins. 
It was celebrated for its large library, which 
contained two hundred thousand manuscripts. 
These were presented to Cleopatra by Mark 
Antony and removed to Alexandria. The prin- 
cipal god of the city was Aesculapius, the patron 
divinity of medicine, who wias worshiped in the 
form of a serpent. 

Thyatira (Rev. 2: 18) was in the province of 



276 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



Lydia, on the road from Pergamos to Sardis. 
It was founded by Alexander the Great, who 
peopled it with colonists from Macedonia. It 
is a prosperous manufacturing town, but it has 
never been a great city. The dyeing of woolen 
goods was one of the leading industries. The 
purple cloth mentioned in Acts 16: 14 still has 
a reputation throughout the Orient. It is now a 
small place of about seventeen thousand inhab- 
itants. 

Sardis (Eev. 3:1), thirty miles south of Thya- 
tira, was the ancient capital of the empire of 
Croesus, the wealthy king of Lydia who was con- 
quered by Cyrus the Great. 

Philadelphia (brotherly love) (Eev. 3: 7) was 
about twenty miles southeast of Saudis and 
about eighty miles east of Smyrna. The city 
was built by Attalus Philadelphus, king of Per- 
gamos, from whom it took its name. 

Laodicea (Eev. 3 : 14), about sixty miles south- 
east of Philadelphia, was the wealthy capital 
of the province of Phrygia. In A. D. 62 it was 
destroyed by an earthquake, and so wealthy 
were its inhabitants that they refused the prof- 
fered help of Eome in the rebuilding of their 
city. One of the Epistles of Paul, which has not 
been included in the canonical writings, was ad- 
dressed to the church at Laodicea (Col. 4: 16). 
In the church of Laodicea is seen an example of 



The Seven Churches of Asia 



277 



the dangers of earthly riches; for its worldly 
prosperity seemed to have been reflected in the 
congregation, which received the sharpest re- 
bukes of all the churches addressed in the 
Apocalyptic letter. 



Questions 



279 



QUESTIONS ON CHAPTER I 

1. Bound the Old Testament World. 

2. How long a period is covered by Old Testament 
history ? 

3. How does the area of the Old Testament World 
compare with that of the United States ? 

4. How many square miles in the Old Testament 
World? 

5. How much of this area is occupied by large 
bodies of water, and how much by land? 

6. How much of the area of the Old Testament 
World is desert land, and how much is habitable 
territory ? 

7. How many seas are included in the Old Testa- 
ment World, and how many of these are mentioned 
in the Bible? 

8. Give the location of the following seas: the Red 
Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, the Sea of Galilee, the 
Persian Gulf, the Caspian Sea. 

9. WJiich of these seas is entirely surrounded by 
land? 

10. Which of these seas are mentioned in the Bible ? 
Give references where they are mentioned. 

11. Where do the great mountain ranges of the 
Bible have their origin ? 

12. Give the general location of the Ararat moun- 
tain ranges. 

13. What important event is connected with one of 
its highest peaks? 

14. Give a general description of Greater and 
Lesser Ararat. What are their respective elevations? 



280 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



15. Describe the origin and general direction of the 
Caspian range. 

16. What mountain range forms the eastern water- 
shed of the 6 6 twin rivers"? 

17. Give the origin and direction of the Lebanon 
range. 

18. Into what two ranges is the Lebanon range di- 
vided ? 

19. What is the name and the altitude of the high- 
est peak of the Lebanon range ? 

20. What important mountain is toward the south 
of the Lebanon range? 

21. Which of the five mountain ranges is most 
closely connected with the history of the Bible? 

22. Describe briefly the Taurus range. 

23. Where do most of the rivers of the Bible have 
their origin? 

24. What is the Bible name for the river Tigris? 
Where does it rise, and what is its general direction? 

25. Give the approximate length of the Tigris from 
its head to where it unites with the Euphrates. 

26. Describe the directions of the Euphrates. 

27. What is the distance from the junction of the 
Euphrates and the Tigris to the Persian Gulf? What 
is the name of the river after the union? 

28. What is the width of the Euphrates at Babylon ? 

29. How far from its mouth is the Euphrates nav- 
igable ? 

30. What important boundary is made by the Eu- 
phrates ? 

31. What great city stood on its banks? 



Questions 



281 



32. Describe how the distance from the junction of 
the Euphrates and Tigris to the Persian Gulf is con- 
stantly being increased. 

33. Between what two mountain ranges does the 
Jordan flow? 

34. What great river of the Old Testament World 
flows northward, and what is its length? 

35. Describe the peculiarity of the Nile. 

36. What river of this chapter is not mentioned in 
the Bible? 

QUESTIONS ON CHAPTER II 

1. Into how many divisions is the Old Testament 
World naturally divided, and to what country do 
they nearly agree? 

2. Give the natural divisions of the Old Testa- 
ment World. 

3. What can you say concerning the way these 
divisions compare with those of the United States of 
America ? 

4. Name and bound the lands oh the eastern slope. 

5. Name and bound the lands in the central plain. 

6. Name and bound the lands on the western slope. 

7. How many empires occupied the territory of the 
Old Testament World? Name them and give their 
order. 

8. How many kings and monarchs can you name 
who belonged to these empires? 

9. Give the probable location of Eden. 

10. Give the location of Ur, Haran, Damascus, and 
Hebron, and relate some event from the Old Testa- 
ment connected with each. 



282 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



11. Give the probable location of Sodom and Go- 
morrah and your reason for locating them as you do. 

12. Locate Tyre and relate some event connected 
with this city. 

13. Where was Shusham, and of what empire was it 
the capital ? What important Bible event is connected 
with this city? 

14. Give the situation of Babylon. Name three of 
its kings and mention four important events con- 
nected with the city. 

15. Of what empire was Nineveh the capital! On 
what river was it situated? Name two important 
events in Nineveh's history. 

16. What was the earliest capital of Egypt? 

17. Which is the most important city in Bible 
history, and why? 

QUESTIONS ON CHAPTER III 

1. Where is found the best record of the repeopling 
of the world after the flood? 

2. How many sons had Noah? Name them. 

3. Name, in a general way, the territory settled by 
each of Noah's sons. 

4. Name the sons of Japheth. 

5. What race of people are descendants of Japheth? 

6. Name some of the people who are supposed to be 
the descendants of Gomer. 

7. What ancient nation descended from Madai? 

8. What ancient nation of great prominence is sup- 
posed to have descended from Javan? 

9. What is the meaning of the word Ham? 



Questions 



283 



10. What great empire is supposed to have been 
founded by Nimrod? 

11. What relation was Nimrod to Noah? 

12. Why are the descendants of Ham named more 
particularly than those of Japheth? 

13. Name two settlements of the descendants of 
Ham. 

14. Who was the first son of Ham, and how is his 
name translated in the Bible? 

15. Who was the second son of Ham, and what is 
the literal meaning of his name? 

16. Who was the third son of Ham, and what sec- 
tion of the country is his name supposed to refer to ? 

17. Who was the fourth son of Ham, and of what 
people is he the ancestor ? 

18. What seacoast town was named after the first 
son of Canaan? 

19. Which was the eldest of Noah's sons? 

20. What reason can you give for the eldest son's 
being mentioned last in the tenth chapter of Genesis? 

21. Of how many races was Shem the father? 
Name them. 

22. From which son of Noah was Abraham a de- 
scendant ? 

23. From the name of what person do we have 
the word Hebrew? 

24. Who is supposed to have been the father of the 
Arab tribes? 

25. What country is supposed to have been occupied 
by Aram? 

26. Where was the land of Uz? 



284 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



27. What prominent character of the Bible lived 
in the land of Uz? 

QUESTIONS ON CHAPTER IV 

1. Where was Abraham born ? 

2. Describe the first journey of Abraham with his 
father's family. 

3. Where was the first settlement of Abraham in 
the land of Canaan ? 

4. Where did Abraham stop after leaving Shechem ? 

5. Between what two places was his camp after 
leaving Bethel? 

6. Where did he next go? 

7. Describe Abraham's difficulty in Egypt. 

8. Was Abraham justified in saying that his wife 
was his sister? 

9. To what place did Abraham journey after leav- 
ing Egypt? 

10. Who of Abraham's kindred journeyed with 
him until this time? Why did they separate? 

11. Give a general description of the country chosen 
by Lot and that left to Abraham. 

12. After the second removal from Bethel, to what 
place did Abraham go? 

13. Give a description, in your own words, of 
Abraham's pursuit of the Elamites. 

14. After his removal from Hebron, to what part 
of the country did Abraham go? 

15. What is the meaning of "Beersheba/' and why 
was it so called? 

16. What, to your mind, was the most important 
journey Abraham made? 



Questions 



285 



17. Which of the three patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, 
and Jacob, lived the longest ? 

18. Did Isaac cover as much territory in his jour- 
neys as his father Abraham ? 

19. Where was the first known home of Isaac? 

20. What was the cause of Isaac 's removal to Gerar ? 

21. Can yon give a reason why the Lord warned 
Isaac against going down into Egypt? 

22. What was the probable reason for Isaac's go- 
ing to Itehoboth? 

23. Where do we next find Isaac? 

24. Name three important events of Isaac's life at 
Beersheba. 

25. How old was Isaac when he died, and where was 
he buried? 

26. Where was Jacob born, and who were his de- 
scendants ? 

27. What was the reason of Jacob's flight from 
Beersheba to Haran? 

28. At what place did he stop on his way, and what 
important event took place there? 

29. How far is it from Beersheba to Haran? 

30. Mention an important event connected with 
Jacob's return journey to the land of Canaan. 

31. At what place did Jacob settle on his return, 
and what circumstance caused him to leave that place ? 

32. Where did the death of Rachel, Jacob's wife, 
occur ? 

33. At what place did Jacob next settle, and what 
two important events took place while he was there? 

34. What occasioned Jacob's going down into 



286 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



Egypt, and what happy surprize did he meet there? 

35. How long did Jacob remain in Egypt? 

36. Describe Jacob's last journey — the funeral pro- 
cession. 

QUESTIONS ON CHAPTER V 

1. Give an outline of this chapter. 

2. Give the different names of Egypt, with an ex- 
planation of each. 

3. Give the location and boundaries of Egypt. 

4. How many natural divisions has Egypt, and 
what are they? 

5. Describe the physical features of Egypt. 

6. Bound and describe the peninsula of Sinai. Give 
its area. 

7. What two physical features characterize this 
peninsula ? 

8. How many wildernesses are there in the penin- 
sula of Sinai? Name them. 

9. From whom did Edom get its name? What 
other names refer to it ? 

10. Bound the land of Edom. 

11. Describe the physical features of Edom. 

12. Were the Edomites friendly to the Israelites? 

13. Bound and describe the land of Moab. 

14. Give the division of the passage of the Israelites 
from Edom to Canaan. 

15. Give the encampments in each division of the 
journey. 

16. How long was it from the time the Israelites 
left Edom until they reached Sinai? 



Questions 



287 



17. Give the principal events that took place during 
the encampment at Sinai. 

18. How long did the Israelites stay at Sinai ? 

19. Name the encampments from Sinai to Kadesh. 

20. Name some events that happened between Sinai 
and Kadesh. 

21. What can you say concerning the location of 
Kadesh? 

22. Describe the events that took place at Kadesh. 

23. Describe the final march from Kadesh to the 
promised land. 

24. Give the most important events that took place 
while the Israelites were encamped in the field of 
Moab. 

QUESTIONS ON CHAPTER VI 

1. In what direction, during the four hundred years 
between the Old and New Testaments, does Bible 
geography move, and how far? 

2. What sea of New Testament geography is most 
prominent ? 

3. Give the different names applied to the sea of 
Galilee, and give its location. 

4. Give the location of the following seas: Black, 
Aegean, Adriatic, and Dead. 

5. Name the islands of this chapter, and give the 
location of each. 

6. Give the provinces in each of the following coun- 
tries: Europe, Asia, Africa, Asia Minor. 

7. Give the provinces according to the following 
groups: on the Black Sea, on the Aegean Sea, on 
the Mediterranean, in the interior. 



288 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



8. Name from memory the principal cities of the 
New Testament, and mention some prominent fact or 
well-known event connected with each. 

9. Name all the provinces of the New Testament 
World. 

QUESTIONS ON CHAPTER VII 

1. Of what country are we studying the geography? 

2. About how much of Bible history is associated 
with this land? 

3. What can you say of the importance of Bible 
geography ? 

4. Why is it somewhat difficult to give an exact 
boundary of Palestine that will apply to all ages of its 
history ? 

5. Give the boundaries of Canaan before it was 
possessed by the Israelites. 

6. What did Palestine, as divided among the twelve 
tribes, include? 

7. Bound Palestine proper. 

8. Bound the Promised Land as promised to Abra- 
ham and others. 

9. What was the most northern town in Palestine? 

10. What was the most southern town? 

11. Give the different names by which this land has 
been known, and explain their origin. 

12. What is the area of Palestine ? To what two 
States is it about equal? 

13. How far is it along the coast line from Zidon 
to Gaza ? 

14. How far from Zidon due east to Jordan? 

15. How far from Gaza due east to the Dead Sea? 



Questions 



289 



16. How far from Dan to Beersheba? 

17. Name the natural divisions of Palestine. 

18. Explain the comparative altitudes of these di- 
visions. 

19. Which of these divisions is the most fertile? 

20. What desert lies east of the plateau on the east 
of Jordan? 

21. What is the length of the Jordan valley from 
Mt. Hermon to the southern end of the Dead Sea? 

22. What springs are at the head of the Jordan? 
What is their altitude? 

23. What is the total fall of the Jordan valley? 

24. Describe the width of the Jordan valley at the 
following places : 

1. Above Lake Merom. 

2. Between Lake Merom and the Sea of Galilee. 

3. Below the Sea of Galilee. 

4. Just north of Jericho. 

QUESTIONS ON CHAPTER VIII 

1. What are the two main divisions of the moun- 
tains of Palestine? 

2. How do the altitudes of these divisions compare? 

3. How many divisions of the mountains west of 
the Jordan, and what are they? 

4. Give a description of Mt. Carmel. 

5. Give the most important mountains west of the 
Jordan, and relate some Bible event associated with 
each. (Find other events than those mentioned in the 
chapter, if possible.) 



290 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



6. Name the important mountains east of the Jor- 
dan, giving some event in connection with each. 

7. Give the valleys mentioned in this chapter, and 
some important event associated with each. 

8. Describe in your own words the plains mentioned 
in this chapter. 

9. Give the notable battles fought on the Plain of 
Esdraelon. 

10. Give the boundaries and a brief description of 
the desert lands adjacent to Palestine. 

11. What wilderness is in Palestine? 

12. What desert south of Palestine? What one 
on the east ? 



QUESTIONS ON CHAPTER IX 

1. How many seas belong to Palestine geography? 

2. What seaport town is nearest Jerusalem? 

3. Give the different names for the Mediterranean 
Sea. 

4. Give the different names and a description of 
the Dead Sea. 

5. Give the location and elevation of the Dead Sea. 

6. Give the different names and location of the Sea 
of Galilee. 

7. How many events in the life of Christ, asso- 
ciated with this sea, can you give by memory? What 
are they ? 

8. Give location, size, shape, and altitude of Lake 
Merom. 

9. Name the most important river of Palestine. 



Questions 



10. What two streams of Palestine do not dry up 
in summer? 

11. Give the total fall of the Jordan from its head 
to its mouth. 

12. Give the length of the Jordan: (a) following 
the river bed, (b) in a straight line. 

13. What two rivers flow into the Jordan- below the 
Sea of Galilee? 

14. What are the two prominent features of the 
Jordan ? 

15. Locate the fords of the Jordan, and give some 
historical account in connection with each. 

16. What river forms the northern boundary of 
Palestine? Give its source, direction, and length. 

17. Give two events of Hebrew history connected 
with the Kishon. 

18. What tributary of the Jordan is not mentioned 
in the Bible? 

19. What river empties into the Jordan midway 
between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea? 

20. What river often mentioned in the Bible flows 
into the Dead Sea? Explain its use as a boundary 
line. Give its length and its width at the mouth. 

21. Name the five important brooks of the Bible. 

22. Name some event in Bible history associated 
with each brook of this chapter. 

23. What can you say in general of the environs of 
Jerusalem? 

24. What valley on the west and south of Jeru- 
salem? 

25. What valley on the east? 



292 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



26. Describe in full the physical features of the 
city. 

27. Locate Mt. Zion and give its height. 

28. Upon what hill was Solomon's temple built? 

29. Where are the following, and why are they so 
called : Mount of Offense, Hill of Evil Counsel Acel- 
dama, Mount of Ascension? 

30. From what place did Titus view Jerusalem, and 
where is it? 



QUESTIONS ON CHAPTER X 

1. What can you say concerning the variety of cli- 
mate in Palestine? 

2. Give the months of the year in which rain falls 
in Palestine. 

3. Give the time of year of the " early" and " lat- 
ter" rains. 

4. How many seasons are directly mentioned in the 
Bible? 

5. Give the seasons as mentioned in Gen. 8 : 22. 

6. Name two of the most important trees of Pales- 
tine, and the district where each grows. 

7. What tree furnishes the husks with which the 
prodigal would fain have filled himself ? 

8. Name a few of the common garden vegetables? 

9. What can you say of the flowers of Palestine? 

10. Give the principal field products. 

11. What two wild animals are now not to be found 
in Palestine? 

12. Mention from memory six wild animals and the 
most important domestic animals. 



Questions 



293 



13. Name a few of the insects mentioned in this 
chapter. 

14. Name the most common fishes found in the 
Jordan and in the Sea of Galilee. 

15. What fish of the Mediterranean is supposed to 
have been the great fish that swallowed the prophet 
J onah ? 

16. Name a few of the common birds of Palestine. 

17. What were the most important industries of the 
Hebrews ? 

18. Name and give a brief description of the instru- 
ments of agriculture used by the Hebrews. 

19. Do you think that the experience gained in 
Egypt was valuable to the Israelites in the land of 
Canaan ? 

20. What mode of cultivating the hillsides was em- 
ployed in Palestine? 

21. Describe the requirements of the law with re- 
spect to the cultivation of the soil in the seventh year. 

22. What were the principal products? 

23. Give the time of the wheat harvest and the time 
of the barley harvest. 

24. Give the different modes of reaping. 

25. Give, with a few Scripture references, a brief 
description of a threshing-floor and threshing-instru- 
ments. 

26. Describe the process of winnowing. 

27. Give a brief description of a shepherd's life 
and the care of flocks. 

28. What can you say of the custom concerning 
digging wells and why it was considered so meri- 
torious an act? 



294' 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



29. Prom what circumstances would you conclude 
that sheep-herding was among the most respectable 
of occupations ! 

30. Describe the wine-press. 

31. When was the time of vintage, and why was it 
attended with great joy? 

32. Give a short description of the wine-press, the 
treaders of grapes, and the wine bottles. 

33. What are the different products made from 
olives! Describe the method of their manufacture. 



QUESTIONS ON CHAPTER XI 

1. Name the aboriginal races of the land of Canaan. 

2. What can you say of the physical appearance 
of the first inhabitants of the land of Canaan? 

3r Give the probable location of each of the orig- 
inal tribes of the land. 

4. Who was the father of the Canaanites? 

5;- Why were all the tribes who supplanted the 
aborigines sometimes called Canaanites? 

6. Name from memory the Canaanitish tribes in 
order as given in this lesson. 

7. Which of the Canaanitish tribes were the most 
powerful, and which of them inhabited the richest 
part of the country? 

8r Prom which of the tribes did the land derive 
its present name — Palestine? 

9. Give the probable location of each of the Ca- 
naanitish tribes. 

10: Name one or more of the principal cities of 
each of the Canaanitish tribes. 



Questions 



295 



11. Which of the Canaanitish tribes were the 
Israelites specifically commanded to exterminate? 

12. Give the four main divisions of the land of 
Canaan as divided among the ten tribes. 

13. Name ten tribes of the children of Israel among 
whom the land was divided. 

14. Why was no portion allotted to the Levites? 

15. Bound one tribe in each of the four general 
divisions. 

16. What was the ancient name of Jerusalem, and to 
which of the Canaanitish tribes did it belong? 

17. Name the cities of refuge, and give the tribe in 
which each one was located. 

18. Under what form of government were the Israel- 
ites at the time of the conquests of Canaan? 

19. What city was at one time the seat of govern- 
ment and a religious center of the ten tribes, and 
where was it located ? 



QUESTIONS ON CHAPTER XII 

1. Under what form of government were the chil- 
dren of Israel before the time of the kings? 

2. Tell of the acquisition of the city of Dan by 
the tribe of that name. 

3. The reign of what three kings is known as the 
Undivided Monarchy? Why? 

4. What was the area of the possessions of the 
Israelites when Saul became king? 

5. Where was Ramah, and to what circumstances 
does it owe its importance ? 



296 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



6. At what place was Saul introduced to the peo- 
ple as their king? 

7. What city was the capital of Saul's empire? 

8. Where was Saul formally recognized as king? 

9. Against what five nations did Saul wage war? 

10. Tell of the war with the Ammonites. 

11. In which war was Saul disobedient to the Lord, 
and in what did he disobey ? 

12. What act of David's brought him into prom- 
inence ? 

13. Name and locate twelve places visited by David 
in his flight from Saul. 

14. What act marked the turning-point in Saul's 
career? 

15. Name and locate the four places connected 
with Saul's last campaign. 

16. Where and how did Saul meet his death? 

17. How much did David increase the extent of 
the kingdom during his reign? 

18. What town was David's birthplace, and where 
was it ? 

19. What decisive battle was fought at Gibeon? 
Where was Gibeon? 

20. What strong fortress did David take and make 
his capital? 

21. In what valley did David twice defeat the Phil- 
istines, and where was it? 

22. What was the extent of David's realm after the 
capture of the Ammonites? 

23. What two battles were fought as the result of 
internal troubles? 



Questions 



297 



24. "Why does the record of Solomon's reign belong 
chiefly to history? 

QUESTIONS ON CHAPTER XIII 

1. Into what five kingdoms was the empire of Sol- 
omon divided at his death? 

2. Bound each of these. 

3. What three cities were at different times the 
capital of the kingdom of Israel? 

4. Locate the two religions centers of the kingdom 
of Israel. 

5. What was the duration of the kingdom of Israel ? 

6. How many and what tribes constituted the king- 
dom of Judah? 

7. What city was their seat of government and re- 
ligious center? 

8. What was the object of deporting the inhabitants 
of a conquered land? 

9. What eastern nation was rising into power at 
the time of the first captivity ? What was their chief 
city? 

10. Which kingdoms were conquered first, Judah or 
Israel ? 

11. To what place were the people of Israel taken ? 

12. By what nation was the remaining kingdom 
conquered, and to what place were the people carried ? 

13. The Samaritans are descendants of what peo- 
ples? 

14. What do we learn of the location of the Jews 
from the Book of Esther? 

15. What city was the seat of government of the 
Persian kings ? 



298 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



16. How many years elapsed between the captivity 
of Israel and Judah? 

17. Why was Israel carried to one place and Judah 
to another? 

18. What nation was in power when the Jews were 
allowed to return to their own land? 

19. What became of the ten tribes of Israel? 



QUESTIONS ON CHAPTER XIV 

1. What was the most common division of Palestine 
in the days of Christ? 

2. Bound Judea. 

3. Bound Samaria. 

4. What part of Samaria was occupied almost en- 
tirely by Gentiles? 

5. Give the extent of the province of Galilee. 

6. Bound Perea. 

7. What is the meaning of " Perea"? 

8. Locate the province of Decapolis. 

9. In which of these provinces did Christ spend the 
greater part of his ministerial life ? 

10. Locate Bethlehem. Give historical incidents 
connected with it. 

11. What town was the home of Mary, Martha, and 
Lazarus, and where was it? 

12. Where is the Mount of Olives, and why was it 
so named? 

13. Locate the Garden of Gethsemane. 

14. Where was Jesus crucified? 

15. Describe the Wilderness of Judea. 

16. Locate Ephraim. Emmaus, Jericho, Sychar, 



Questions 



299 



Salim, Samaria, Nazareth, Cana, Nain, Magdala, Beth- 
saida, Capernaum, Bethabara, and Gergesa. 

17. Name and locate the mountain which is sup- 
posed by best authorities to be the mount of trans- 
figuration. 

QUESTIONS ON CHAPTER XV 

1. Give the divisions of the life of Jesus. 

2. What was the first journey of Jesus? 

3. Where was Jesus when visited by the wise men 
from the East? 

4. What occasioned his flight into Egypt? 

5. To what city did he go on his return from Egypt ? 
Why? 

6. What important event took place when he was 
twelve years old? 

7. What town was his home until he entered upon 
his public work? 

8. How far did Jesus go to be baptized? 

9. Where did he go after his baptism? 

10. Where did Jesus call his first disciples? 

11. Trace our Lord during the first and second 
years of his ministry, and give some events that 
occurred at each place. 

QUESTIONS ON CHAPTER XVI 

1. With what year of the ministry of Jesus is this 
chapter concerned? 

2. Give in order the several places visited by Jesus, 
as mentioned in this chapter, and mention some mir- 



300 



Historical eGography of the Bible 



aele, parable, or discourse of Jesus associated with 
each place. 

3. With what four places are the closing events of 
our Lord's life associated? 

4. What are the principal events associated with 
each of the four places? 

5. Mention the different appearances of Jesus after 
his resurrection, stating in each case those to whom 
he appeared. 

QUESTIONS ON CHAPTER XVII 

1. To what nationality were the first seven years 
of the labors of the apostles confined? 

2. What can you give as a cause for the martyrdom 
of Stephen? 

3. What led to the dispersion of the apostles and 
other Christians from Judea and Jerusalem? 

4. About what time did the period of the transi- 
tion from Jerusalem to the Gentile world begin ? 

5. What two provinces of the Roman Empire are 
most closely associated with the early work of the 
apostles ? 

6. Give the extent of Syria at this time and its form 
of government. 

7. Give the form of government of Judea and 
Samaria during the following periods : 

a. During the life of Christ. 

b. From A. D. 41 to A. D. 44. 

c. From A. D. 45 to A. D. 70. 

8. With how many cities are the principal events 
of the early apostolic journeys associated? Name 
them. 



Questions 



301 



9. Trace the journeys of Philip, giving the several 
cities in order as visited by him. 

10. What was Saul's attitude toward the Chris- 
tians before he was converted? 

11. What can you say of his preaching and early 
ministry ? 

12. Give the probable object of the journey of Peter, 
and mention the places visited by him at this time. 

13. Give the places visited by Barnabas on his first 
recorded journey, and what was his principal object ? 

14. What direction was Tarsus from Antioch, and 
what was the principal means of transit between the 
two places? 

15. What was the purpose of the first journey of 
Saul and Barnabas? 

QUESTIONS ON CHAPTER XVIII 

1. Who accompanied the apostle Paul on his first 
missionary journey? 

2. Name and locate the several cities visited on the 
first missionary journey, mentioning, if possible, some 
event associated with each place. 

3. Through what three countries was the second 
missionary journey, and who accompanied Paul on 
this journey? 

4. What unpleasant circumstances occurred just 
before Paul set out on his journey ? 

5. Name and locate the several stations visited by 
Paul and his company on the second missionary jour- 
ney. 

6. Mention some event associated with each station 
of the second missionary journey. 



302 



Historical Geography of the Bible 



QUESTIONS ON CHAPTER XIX 

1. Locate the several stations visited by Paul on his 
third missionary journey. 

2. "Were any of the stations visited on this third 
journey visited on a former journey? 

3. Trace this third missionary journey, naming 
the several stations in order as visited. 

4. Name in connection with each station any event 
that may be important. 

5. Describe in your own language the circumstances 
connected with Paul's arrest, 

6. Where was Paul sent, and why? 

7. At what station did part of the guard turn back ? 

8. Trace the voyage to Rome, giving the several sta- 
tions at which the company stopped, and name the 
principal things that took place at each station. 

9. What can you say about our knowledge of the 
last journey of the apostle Paul? 

10. Eecite at least three reasons for supposing that 
Paul was acquitted at Rome, released, and permitted 
to make another journey. 

11. What does tradition tell us of Paul's death? 



QUESTIONS ON CHAPTER XX 

1. Give the two meanings of the word "Asia" as 
used in the New Testament, describing the extent of 
the country described by each. 

2. From what place were the messages to the seven 
churches of Asia written? 



Questions 



303 



3. Give the seven cities in which were located the 
seven churches of Asia, reciting them in their most 
natural order. 

4. Locate, and give a short description of each city. 

5. What can you say of the spiritual condition of 
the seven churches ? 



Deacidified using the Bookkeeper process. 
Neutralizing agent: Magnesium Oxide 
Treatment Date: Dec. 2002 

PreservationTechnoiogies 

A WORLD LEADER IN PAPER PRESERVATION 

1 1 1 Thomson Park Drive 
Cranberry Township, PA 16066 
(724) 779-2111 



